SANTA CRUZ

Sentinel sports department honored

Sentinel sports writer Julie Jag was recognized as having written one of the nation's best game stories for newspapers with circulation of 40,000 or below. The Associated Press Sports Editors announced national contest award winners on Wednesday. Jag's story from 2005 was recognized as one of the nation's 10 best by sports editors.

The Sentinel's Sunday sports section also was recognized with an honorable mention in the contest, as one of the nation's top 20 2005 Sunday sections for its circulation size. Entries from throughout the year are judged on content, enterprise, organization and editing.

Poll: Should Finkelstein give speech in Santa Cruz?

Israel critic Norman Finkelstein's planned appearance at a Resource Center for Nonviolence event is drawing the wrath of local Jewish leaders. What do you think? Should his views be heard or the event be canceled? Vote in the Sentinel Readers Poll at www.santacruzsentinel.com.

Santa Cruz

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Boardwalk Arcade rated best in U.S.

The Boardwalk Arcade was ranked the best in the country in the March issue of Giant, a national monthly entertainment magazine.

The Boardwalk Arcade got the top billing out of five best arcades for its 300-plus arcade games, including Dance Dance Revolution and SkyTarget Flight Simulator.

The other arcades in Giant's top five are Barcade in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Ground Kontrol in Portland, Ore.; Riptide Arcade on Pier 39 in San Francisco; and Japan Arcade in Los Angeles.

The Boardwalk Arcade includes active games such as Dance Dance Revolution as well as classics including Space Invaders and Centipede. Other entertainments include laser tag, ping pong, air hockey, foosball and miniature golf.

SANTA CRUZ

Environmentalists honor McPherson

The Friends of Long Marine Lab will honor California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson with a Global Oceans Award at the group's annual Gourmet Dinner benefit on Sunday. The award recognizes McPherson for his leadership with Friends and commitment to the local coastal environment.

The Global Oceans Awards were established in 2004 to recognize people making a difference for the world's oceans. The award dinner is one of the most popular fundraising events for Friends of Long Marine Lab, group leaders said.

McPherson earns the award after serving as founding president of the group, and during his three years as state assemblyman, for playing a key role in obtaining state funds for construction of UC Santa Cruz's Earth and Marine Sciences Building, home to the Institute of Marine Sciences.

Graduate students Leslie Roland and Dana Wingfield will also receive awards at the dinner.

The dinner will be Sunday at Bittersweet Bistro in Aptos. For information, call Lisa M. Rose at 459-3694.

WATSONVILLE

Medicare drug benefit outlined for residents

Are you confused about Medicare's new prescription drug benefit? Do you have questions about how to pick a plan, want to learn more about how various plans work, or just plain need to know whether you should sign up for the benefit?

Now is the time to get your questioned answered. If you are enrolled in Medicare, you need to sign up for a Medicare Part D drug benefit plan before May 15, or you'll pay for your plan, every month, for life.

Sally NeSmith, an expert from the Senior Resource Center's Health Insurance Counseling or Advocacy Program, will answer questions during two free presentations March 17 at the Watsonville Main Library, 310 Union St.

The presentation will be in English at 2 p.m. and in Spanish at 3:30 p.m.

Friends of Watsonville Library is sponsoring the event. Call 768-6040.

COUNTY

CHP officers give safety refresher

In the past six months, six California Highway Patrol officers have been killed in the line of duty. All of them died while conducting traffic stops or aiding disabled motorists, including one on Highway 17.

As a result, officers wish to remind drivers what to do in case of emergency or if stopped by an officer.

State law requires vehicles move to the right side of the road if an emergency vehicle has a red light flashing behind them. If pulled over, remain calm, safely yield to the right and stay in your vehicle. Drivers should not stop in the center median area or the traffic lane. If you don't see a safe location to pull over, get off the freeway at the next exit.

If involved in a traffic accident with no injuries, remove vehicles from traffic to the nearest safe location. Then call for help.

Watsonville

Latin America progress on special agenda

Andreia Borges Ferreira, a Brazilian land activist, will be in Watsonville on Friday to discuss the Landless Workers Movement MST and the Struggle for Justice in the Countryside.

The talk is 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in the student forum, Cabrillo College Watsonville Center, 318 Union St., Room 4350.

The MST is the largest social movement in Latin America, with an estimated 2 million members organized in 23 of Brazil's 27 states. Since 1985, the MST has peacefully occupied and won title to unused land for more than 300,000 landless families.

The event is being sponsored by the Watsonville Brown Berets, Cabrillo College MEChA, Friends of the MST and La Manzana Community Resources.

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