February 2012
C O M M U N I T Y N E W S T H AT M A K E S A D I F F E R E N C E
Vol 15 No. 2
Serving Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek & Felton
2012 Supervisor Races
Candidates for the County Board
By Noel Smith
the Skatepark should allow scooter riders. After more than 30 people spoke to the issue, the Parks and Recreation commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council change a city ordinance to allow scooter riders to use the city’s skate park.
t’s not often that two open seats appear on the Santa Cruz County board of Supervisors. Three districts are up for election in 2012 with incumbents Ellen Pirie of District 2 and Mark Stone of District 5 choosing not to run for reelection. Pirie has been on the board since she was first elected in the year 2000 while Stone was appointed to the board in 2003 and then first elected in 2004. District 1 incumbent Supervisor John Leopold is running for his second term. Elections for open seats are always interesting because they get the most candidates fighting it out to get on the Board. The general themes of those running are usually “Time for a Change” or “Stay the Course” or some variation. Also, what do those that say they will be running think will be the important issues for them during the campaign.
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Scotts Valley Skateboard Park recently officially allowed the use of scooters.
LOCAL NEWS By Noel Smith
Can Skateboards and Scooters Co-Exist? ntil recently, the Tim Brauch Memorial Skatepark in Scotts Valley allowed just skateboards, inline skates and roller skates. Then came the scooters. Because of the limitations that
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the city had originally set down when the park opened in 2004, animosity between the two groups, skateboarders and scooter riders quickly began to grow and the city was seen as having taken sides in the situation. Because of the popularity of scooters as a Christmas gift, the issue of skateboarders versus
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scooter riders came to a head. On Dec. 27, police were called to the skatepark following a complaint about scooter riders. Scooter riders were then asked to leave. At the January 19 meeting of the Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation Commission, about 100 people attended to share their feelings on whether or not