JACL accepting scholarship applications
WATSONVILLE — The Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American Citizens League is currently accepting applications for its scholarship program.
The JACL’s Scholarship Committee will determine the recipients based on factors such as meritorious performance; grades; participation in certain social activities and organizations, such as Kokoro no Gakko; level of volunteerism; and length of membership in the JACL, the Watsonville Buddhist Temple, and/or the Westview Presbyterian Church.
All scholarship recipients and their parents must be WSC JACL, Watsonville Buddhist Temple, and/or Westview Presbyterian Church members for a minimum of one year prior to receipt of scholarship.
Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the scholarship recipient and/or his/her family must be present at the awards ceremony, which will take place at the JACL’s annual community picnic on Saturday, June 23 at Aptos Village Park.
The submission deadline is Tuesday, May 15.
Applications are available to download at www.watsonvillesantacruzjacl.org/scholarships.
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Co-Op Preschool holding open house
WATSONVILLE — Watsonville Co-Op Preschool, 220 Elm St., will hold an open house on April 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The preschool allows parents to learn alongside their children.
For information, call 761-6647 or email [email protected].
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Supervisors approve Measure D projects
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved $1.8 million in road resurfacing projects under Measure D, the voter-approved 1/2-cent sales tax to fund local transportation improvements.
Under Measure D, 30 percent of the revenues are allocated to local governments for local road improvements. The supervisors approved a five-year expenditure plan for Measure D funds in June 2017, and on March 13 voted unanimously to award the first round of local road projects, which includes resurfacing of Miller Cutoff and Miller Hill Road, Martin Road and local roads in the Boulder Creek and La Selva Beach areas.
“We made a commitment to local voters when they approved Measure D,” Supervisor Zach Friend said. “This represents the first step in keeping our promise to residents that the funds will be used toward improving local road conditions throughout Santa Cruz County.”
“The passage of Measure D was a tremendous accomplishment. The projects and improvements that will come from these funds will have a major impact on transforming our county-wide transportation system and providing a better quality of life for all residents,” said George Dondero, executive director of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.
Work is expected to get underway in June. To view the expenditure plan, visit sccrtc.org/funding-planning/measured.
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Monterey County Free Libraries honored
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Free Libraries (MCFL) has been awarded the Monterey County School Boards Association’s “Excellence in Education Award” for 2018.
The criteria for selection for the annual award were:
• Opportunity available and accessible to students countywide
• Transformative and significant impact on students’ quality of life
• Addresses an unmet, countywide student need
• Demonstrates a commitment to exceeding expectations in pursuit of addressing the challenge
In an awards ceremony held on March 22, at Hartnell College and attended by representatives from Monterey County School boards, both Nancy Kotowski, Monterey County’s superintendent of schools, and Rita Patel, president of the association, spoke of MCFL’s achievements.
MCFL staff members Orquidea Olvera, Be Astengo and Jayanti Addleman were present to receive the award as well as several representatives from the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries and the County of Monterey.
“We are so humbled and honored to receive the award,” Addleman said. “We serve some of our most at-risk youth, as well as their parents, and our main goal is to help everyone in the county be the best they can be. I would like to acknowledge the hard work of all of MCFL’s staff who stretch our very limited resources to take innovative and much-needed programs like the Homework Centers, Summer Reading and Culture Club, Preschool STEM classes, Wi-Fi hotspot and telescope checkout programs all around the county.”
Monterey County Free Libraries are located in Aromas, Big Sur, Las Palmas, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Pajaro, Prunedale, San Ardo, San Lucas, Seaside and Soledad.
For information about MCFL’s programs and services, visit eMCFL.org or call 883-7573.
