Dear Editor,
I reside at the end of a privately maintained old lumber road. On Friday, January 22, Scenic Way was blocked to all inbound and outbound traffic due to downed tree/power lines. Our neighborhood is fortunate to have an alternative access route when either Scenic or Park Drive closes. When one road closes, all residential traffic is funneled through this private section. With more than a hundred vehicles passing through, the road quickly turned to thick mud; previous hardpan turned into deep pot holes, and two cars ended up in the drainage ditch.
Favorite Japanese Maples
I have two Japanese maples on my deck. They are not nearly as large as those I had up in Bonny Doon but you have to start somewhere. One is a common acer palmatum seedling and the other a ‘Sanguo Kaku.’ They have not...
Scotts Valley City Hall transforms into poetry space for 2024 Verse of the Valley winners
Scotts Valley City Hall was temporarily transformed into a poet’s performance space on May 2 for the winners of Scotts Valley Arts Commission’s 2024 Verse of the Valley Poetry Contest.
Poets, friends, family and members of the Scotts Valley Arts Commission filled City Hall to...
A Cracking Veneer
As a relatively recent addition to Scotts Valley, I was quite taken aback to hear that the City of Scotts Valley has declared a fiscal emergency. Despite many new developments and a seemingly prosperous community, Scotts Valley is on a dark, tight schedule. By 2021, the city’s funds would drop below the two-month reserve level, by 2022 nothing would remain in the reserves and the city would enter debt. By 2023/2024 the deficit would reach 5.8 million dollars. If Scotts Valley’s expenditures and revenue continue without adjustments, serious service cuts will be made throughout the city, especially to the SVPD.
It’s Your Money: Investing well means knowing when to take a swing
In baseball, a batter can wait for his pitch before taking a swing. But if he waits too long and lets three strikes go by without swinging, he’ll be called out on strikes.
Club roundup
Kiwanis of the ValleysRecent club activities included participation in Scotts Valley’s 4th of July festivities at Skypark. The club teamed with Boy Scout troop 623 to run the carnival game concession, and also joined in the parade down Scotts Valley Dr.The club was proud to award the $2,500 Mike Smith Scholarship to Connor Lydon, an outstanding student who will soon be graduating from San Lorenzo Valley High School.The 7th season of the Kiwanis produced Music at Skypark summer concert series kicked off on July 26th. The first show was a rousing success. Sponsorship support for Music at Skypark has reached an all time high this year, and the best is yet to come with Extra Large and The Joint Chiefs set to play the next show on August 30th.The concerts are free. Sponsorship donations and net proceeds from our onsite vendors benefit the music programs in our local schools. Concert day volunteers are needed. If you can help, please contact us at http://www.kiwanisofthevalleys.org/Kiwanis meets 7:00am every Wednesday morning at Bruno’s BBQ. The second Wednesday of each month is an evening meeting at Bruno’s at 6:30 pm. We invite you to join us. Rotary Club of San Lorenzo Valley On July 29, the Rotary Club of San Lorenzo Valley will be celebratingthe 75th wedding anniversary of Charter Member, Gil Gunn, and hiswife, Marge. Gil has been a Rotarian since 1951.Rotarians are volunteering during Thomas the Train's visit to RoaringCamp Railroad in July and August. Proceeds from these events support severallocal youth projects including scholarships, a speech contest andleadership camps.This summer, the Rotary Club of SLV is meeting every Wednesday at 7:15 amat 9465 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, the future site of the Ben LomondBistro. Meetings are open to the public. If you are interested injoining a service organization, Rotarians always welcome new members.Additional information can be found on our website slvrotaryclub.org<http://slvrrotaryclub.org/. The Valley Women’s ClubOn Saturday, August 29th, Isadora Duncan will come alive as a person and dancer in a performance by Duncan specialist Lois Flood, in a 7 p.m. performance at Park Hall in Ben Lomond. Isadora Duncan was an iconic dancer and inspirational symbol of women’s independence, both in her style of dance, in the schools she established in the US and Europe, and in her rejection of the social strictures of the beginning on the twentieth century. The Valley Women’s Club’s Women’s Issues Committee is bringing Ms Flood back by popular demand, after a sell-out performance and a dance workshop presented locally last year.In May and June, several hundred “Ready for School” bags were distributed by the VWC’s Education Committee to incoming kindergarten and pre-kindergarten youngsters, as they came to enroll at San Lorenzo Valley Elementary and Boulder Creek Elementary Schools. The bags, supported by donations, offer a book, school and learning supplies, and information to help parents prepare their youngsters for the experience of going to school. The inspiration of Dusty Gipson, Boulder Creek Mom and past VWC Board Member, the bags have helped many hundreds of 4 and 5 year-olds gain needed skills as they ready for school.The Environmental Committee was granted funds by the County’s Environmental Health Department (from our taxes designated to help assure functioning septic systems) to print and mail an informative brochure entitled, “Save Our Septics,” to every SLV resident. Filled with information, and entertaining to read, the brochures were designed by VWC member, Nina Moore, printed (at the discount) by Community Printers. We are grateful to Environmental Health for enabling it to be sent to every SLV resident.Plan to help with the 29th Annual River & Road Clean-up, coming to Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond and Felton on Saturday, September 19th, from 9 to 3. The VWC, in conjunction with Save Our Shores, is counting on volunteers to come help remove trash and recyclables from the River and Creeks, and from the roads along the River - before the rains come and wash the debris down the creeks and River to the Bay and Ocean. Volunteers of all ages are needed. check out the VWC website for information, www.valleywomensclub.org, or call Nancy at 338-6578. The Exchange Club of Scotts ValleyThe Exchange Club of Scotts Valley is currently partnering The SVPD with the D.A.R.E. Golf tournament Friday August 21st. D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a curriculum that is taught to 5th grade students in the Scotts Valley School District. D.A.R.E. has a common objective of teaching students life lessons that they can use every day. These lessons include building self-esteem, learning assertiveness, managing stress, and reducing violence. D.A.R.E. lessons also include saying yes to positive alternatives and making decisions about behaviors, as well as resisting drugs, alcohol, gangs and other negative situations.Community support of D.A.R.E. through our golf tournament is greatly appreciated and helps make Scotts Valley a safer place for our youth. Proceeds from this event also support our other juvenile programs such as Red Ribbon Week, the Junior Police Academy, etc. The Exchange Club is in the planning stages of a trip to Estonia led by our favorite Exchange Club spouse and Estonian Piret Harmon! The club meets the 4th Wednesday of the month at 5:30 at Bruno'sAll are welcome. For information on any of these events please call Chris at 462-3293
Scotts Valley police receive $25K traffic safety grant
Scotts Valley Police Department has received a $25,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support programs promoting bicycle and pedestrian safety.
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