Red Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Core Connections Physical Therapy and Pilates On Wednesday, August 26, the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new member, Core Connections Physical Therapy, during the noon festivities.Core Connections Physical Therapy is located at 108 Whispering Pines Drive, Suite 120 in Scotts Valley. The group uses Pilates methodology and equipment. They will work with clients on an individual basis.For more information, call 440-8301.How Caltrans saves waterDid you know that Caltrans is responsible for more than 30,000 acres of landscaping along the state highway system? During California’s fourth year of extended drought, Caltrans is balancing its dual goals of reducing its water use by 50 percent while also protecting the more than $1 billion in investments made into the plantings along California’s highways.Public Information Officer David Richardson shares the department’s water saving efforts and provides an overview of Caltrans’ efforts to use smart controller devices for its irrigation systems. Richardson says, “These high tech devices automatically adjust watering based on the weather, soil type and plants, and can automatically turn off the water and notify maintenance of any malfunctions.”This video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/tQJo6MSrF4Y Look for signs of vision problems in childrenAugust is widely known as Child Eye Health & Safety Month. As we move from summer fun to focusing on the three Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic), watch your child’s behavior for signs of vision problems.Common signs of vision problems in children include frequently rubbing their eyes, squinting, tilting or turning their heads to look at objects, wandering eyes, or squeezing their eyes. If your child displays any of these symptoms, please schedule an appointment to have his or her eyes checked. Nina Preschool opens in Scotts ValleyThere is a new preschool opening between Scotts Valley and Felton, off Mt. Hermon Road. Gray Gables Cultural Learning Center reopens its doors as Nina’s Preschool and Childcare. The former Cultural Learning Center is now a creative, educational preschool, specializing in organic nutrition, Spanish lessons, and educational enrichment. It is owned and operated by Gray Gables Director’s daughter, Christina Schmidt, who 15 years earlier, was a student of the arts at Gray Gables. Now she is offering her talents here for preschool age children. Christina, a graduate in Applied and Nutrition Science from Cal Poly, will teach children the importance of healthy living and eating.Christina is a nurturing mother who loves children, has over 15 years of childcare experience, completion of early childhood development courses, and the desire to provide a safe and wholesome environment for preschool age children. Included in her curriculum are cooking, gardening, and hands-on crafts which Nina will teach to coincide with weekly themes for a well-rounded education.Call today for availability: 831-566-3082. License #444414572 Operation Safe PassageOn August 26 through September 2, the Scotts Valley Police will be monitoring motorists in the vicinity of all local school zones in Scotts Valley. The goal of the operation is to increase the safety of students commuting to and from school at the beginning of the school year. Extra officers will be working to strictly enforce traffic violations.Officers will focus on the following violations by both motorists as well as commuting students:• Failing to stop for school buses with flashing stop lights• Speeding vehicles• Failing to yield to pedestrians• Jaywalking• Juvenile bicyclists without required helmets or helmets not properly worn• Seat belt and child restraint seat violations• Cell phone and texting violations• Stop sign violations“The first week of the school is always a concern for the police department because we have new groups of kids walking and biking to school for the first time,” said Lt. Steve Walpole, “The extra officers assigned to each school will be a reminder to the students and the motorists in the area to follow the rules of the road in an effort to keep everyone safe during their travels.”Rocket Fuel for the Entrepreneurial Soul Event SeriesThe Slingshot to Success, a small business advocacy program, will be launching their inaugural “2015 Small Business Challenge.” Their mission is to give small business owners an opportunity to have their number one business or marketing questions answered. The Rocket Fuel for the Entrepreneurial Souls series debuts on Wednesday, September 16th, 2015 at Green Hills Events Center in Scotts Valley.For more information, call 824-4135.
