A LOCAL SKATEBOARDING COMPANY WILL BE HONORED THIS FRIDAY BY INDUSTRY PEERS WHEN IT GETS INDUCTED INTO THE SKATEBOARDING HALL OF A FAME.   SANTA CRUZ SKATEBOARDS (OR NHS) WAS FOUNDED IN 1973 BY RICHARD NOVAK, JAY SHUIRMAN AND DOUG HAUT.   IT IS NOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST SKATEBOARD COMPANIES IN THE WORLD AND SELLS BOARDS AND CLOTHING TO 72 COUNTRIES. THE 4^th ANNUAL SKATEBOARDING HALL OF FAME CEREMONY IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE THIS FRIDAY IN ANAHEIM.

TO HIGHLIGHT GUN SAFETY AND KEEP GUNS OUT OF CRIMINALS HANDS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS AND CHURCH LEADERS WILL HOLD GUN TAKE-BACK EVENTS AT THREE CHURCHES THIS WEEKEND.     FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL TAKE-BACK PROGRAMS IN OAKLAND AND SALINAS, THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL CHURCH IN SANTA CRUZ, ALL SAINTS’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN WATSONVILLE AND SHORELIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN CAPITOLA WILL HOLD THEIR OWN TAKE-BACKS ON SATURDAY.    THE EVENTS WILL RUN FROM 10 A-M TO 2 P-M AND ADDITIONAL FIREARMS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN LIVE OAK AND FELTON.

A GANG MEMBER WAS ARRESTED IN WATSONVILLE WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING A VEHICLE STOP FOR A CODE VIOLATION.      SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GANG TASK FORCE MEMBERS APPROACHED THE VEHICLE WHERE THEY FOUND OPEN ALCOHOL AND AN ODOR OF MARIJUANA.    A CONCEALED LOADED HANDGUN WAS UNCOVERED IN A SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE AND 20-YEAR-OLD DESMOND MARTINEZ WAS FOUND WITH AMMUNITION FOR THAT GUN IN HIS POSSESSION.   MARTINEZ WHO IS AN ACTIVE GANG MEMBER WAS BOOKED INTO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY JAIL FOR GANG PARTICIPATION AND POSSESSION OF A LOADED GUN IN A VEHICLE.

A 17-YEAR-OLD BOY FROM HOLLISTER WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY AFTER LEADING POLICE ON A HIGH-SPEED PURSUIT AFTER A HIT-AND-RUN COLLISION.    OFFICERS ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE SUSPECT’S VEHICLE AFTER IT WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION ON SOUTH STREET AND LINE STREET THAT CAUSED MAJOR FRONT-END DAMAGE.   THE SUSPECT DROVE OFF, NEARLY STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE ON SUNNYSLOPE ROAD.  THE DRIVER THEN TRIED TO NARROWLY AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE, BUT CRASHED INTO IT ENDING THE PURSUIT.    THE TEENAGED DRIVER ALLEGEDLY SEEMED UNCONCERNED WITH THE INCIDENT AND WAS SMILING AND LAUGHING WHEN CONTACTED BY POLICE.   HE WAS BOOKED INTO SAN BENITO COUNTY JUVENILE HALL ON CHARGES OF FLEEING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT, AND EVADING AN OFFICER WITH WILLFUL DISREGARD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.