ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT RELEASED MONDAY AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 11,000 JOBS AND ALMOST 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY ECONOMY IN 2011.   THE STUDY RELEASED BY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER MARY LOU NICOLETTI IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTY AND FOUND DESPITE RECESSIONS IN THE PAST DECADE THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR GREW 28 PERCENT.     THE STUDY WAS BASED ON THE COUNTY’S 2011 CROP REPORT AND SHOWS THAT ALTHOUGH CROP DIVERSITY ENCOURAGES STABILITY, MORE AND MORE OF THE TOTAL VALUE IS ACCOUNTED FOR BY BERRIES.

ON MONDAY STATE PARK OFFICIALS UNVEILED THE “PARKS FORWARD” INITIATIVE AIMING TO ASSESS THE UNDERFUNDED STATE PARKS SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA.   THE INITIATIVE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT MAKING STATE PARKS ECONOMICALLY VIABLE AGAIN.   “PARKS FORWARD” SEARCHES FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO ENHANCE MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE FOR STATE PARKS.

A PROMINENT FIGURE IN THE CENTRAL COAST WINE INDUSTRY PAST AWAY IN HIS SLEEP FROM NATURAL CAUSES OVER THE WEEKEND.   STEPHEN PESSAGNO WAS THE CO-FOUNDER OF PESSAGNO VINEYARD ON RIVER ROAD IN SALINAS AND HELPED SHAPE THE RIVER ROAD WINE TRIAL.    STEVE PESSAGNO WHO WAS 55, THROUGH THE VINEYARD ACHIEVED HIS 20-YEAR DREAM TO “PRODUCE LIMITED QUANTITIES OF LUXURY WINES THROUGHOUT MONTEREY AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES.”

A PRIVATE SCHOOL IN APTOS IS CLOSING AFTER THIS SUMMER DUE TO IT NEVER QUITE RECOVERING FROM THE NATIONAL RECESSION IN 2008.     IN 2008 APTOS ACADEMY HAD 135 STUDENTS IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH EIGHTH-GRADE.    NOW, IT HAS LESS THAN 80 STUDENTS AND OVER THE WEEKEND PARENTS WERE NOTIFIED THE SCHOOL WILL CLOSE VIA A LETTER.    APTOS ACADEMY HAS 15 FACULTY MEMBERS ON STAFF.