More than 80 Valley residents came to the General Meeting on March 24 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Valley Women’s Club. The annual gathering at the Highland Park Senior Center featured a gourmet spread of dishes brought by attendees, news updates from representatives of the various Club committees, and a wonderful report by David Wright, Managing Director of the Redemption and Recycling Centers, on the accomplishments of the Centers during his first year on the job. Electronic waste is now taken at the Ben Lomond Center and is guaranteed to be disassembled and recycled in an environmentally sound manner.

Newly-elected Fifth-District Supervisor Bruce McPherson gave a “State of the District” report, in which he spoke of the ongoing meetings with communities about their 1987 Town Plans as well as his plans to address Valley issues in the next four years. Especially exciting was the proposal (first presented in November http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_22093697/santa-cruz-county-may-study-power-agency-formation) to form a local nonprofit to replace PG&E as our energy provider, called Community Choice Aggregation.

Assembly Member Mark Stone and Senator Bill Monning spoke of how statewide initiatives will affect a host of environmental and social issues of interest to SLV residents. Stone remarked that he sensed a desire on the part of newer Assembly Members on both sides of the aisle to work together to solve problems. Monning focused on health issues and the disturbing rise in preventable diabetes, especially in children, and the need to get it under control. He has introduced legislation to put a tax on soft drinks to both discourage people from drinking so many and to provide funds for a Children’s Health Promotion Fund that would raise billions of dollars

Photos by Ninamo Design

Lynn McKibbin

Violet Smith

Sheila DeLany

Donna Ziel

Nancy Macy

Amanda Robinson

Michele Mosher

Nancy Gerdt

Jim Coffis

David Wright

Bruce McPherson

Mark Stone

Bill Monning

March 2013 Meeting