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California News
CALIFORNIA NEWS Reflectors Help Prevent Wrong-Way Collisions
Athree-year pilot program to prevent deadly wrong way collisions found the number of wrong way drivers in San Diego decreased by 44% after the installation of two-way pavement reflectors.
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The reflectors show white or yellow to right way drivers and red to wrong way drivers.
As a result if the pilot program, Caltrans has installed the reflective markers on hundreds of miles of highways, alerting drivers they are entering the roadway in the wrong direction. Installation takes place during maintenance or repaving.
“Adding the two-way reflective markers proved to be so effective that Caltrans updated its statewide design standards,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “It’s a low-cost measure we can use throughout the state to deter wrong way drivers and potentially save lives on California’s highway system.
On average, 37 people are killed in wrong way collisions each year on California’s highways. General Xavier Becerra and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in a lawsuit against Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education challenging their action to repeal and replace the 2016 “borrower defense” regulations that provided a pathway for relief Xavier Becerra from federal student loans for student borrowers misled or defrauded by predatory schools.
Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Education replaced the 2016 regulations with new regulations that make it nearly impossible for victimized students to obtain financial relief, while rolling back oversight over unscrupulous and predatory schools, according to Becerra.
The lawsuit contends the decision to repeal and replace violates the Administrative Procedure Act, and asks the court to require department to re-implement the 2016 processes and protections. Two-way reflective markers show red to wrong way drivers
The pilot program was conducted with the UC Davis Advanced Highway • Maintenance and Construction Technology Research Center.
Caltrans installed and tested different ways to deter wrong way drivers along exit ramps in Sacramento and San Diego, including:
“If only college students in America could count on the U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, to fight for them as she has consistently done for the predatory for-profit education industry that has deceived and cheated these very students,” said Becerra. “Under her leadership, the U.S. Department of Education has replaced critical borrower protections with a process that makes it virtually impossible for victimized students to get the relief they should qualify for. With today’s lawsuit, we continue to fight for student borrower protections so that all who seek a college degree can do so without being cheated by exploitative for-profit colleges.”
The Higher Education Act requires that the Secretary of Education issue regulations that provide for a meaningful process for students to obtain federal student loan relief if they have been misled or defrauded by their school. This process is known as “borrower defense.”
DeVos does not like cancelling student loans, adding a hand-written note “with extreme displeasure” to her approval of one student borrower’s loan cancellation.
In 2016, the Obama Administration began working on new borrower defense regulations, building on lessons learned
LED lights flashing 24 hours a day Active monitoring systems that use radar to detect wrong way drivers. These systems activate a secondary set of LED signs when a wrong way driver enters the ramp and sends realtime alerts and photos to Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol.
Two-way reflective pavement markers Wrong Way” signs at the off-ramp “Do Not Enter” signs equipped with
The flashing LED signs showed promise at preventing wrong way collisions and Caltrans will continue to monitor from the collapse of Corinthian Colleges — a predatory, for-profit chain of colleges that left tens of thousands of students across the nation in need of relief.
The California Department of Justice was at the forefront of the Corinthian case, obtaining a $1.1 billion default judgment against Corinthian for targeting low-income, vulnerable students through false advertisements. California help shape the 2016 borrower defense regulations, serving as lead negotiator for the states on Department of Education’s rulemaking committee.
The 2016 regulations provided misled and defrauded borrowers access to a consistent, clear, fair, and transparent process to seek debt relief, and also protected taxpayers by holding schools that engage in misconduct accountable.
Under Secretary DeVos, the borrowerdefense regulations were delayed and then in 2019 replacement regulations were Betsy DeVos issued that put the interests of predatory schools ahead of student protections, according to Becerra. their impact to determine whether to expand use at exit ramps across the state.
The pilot program was developed following 10 wrong way driver related collisions on Sacramento and San Diego area freeways in the first six months of 2015. UC Davis researchers partnered with Caltrans to conduct a second study in Sacramento to better understand the actions that lead to wrong way driving incidents.
“Our hypothesis was that some of the causes of wrong way driving start before a driver enters the ramp,” said researcher and AHMCT co-director Ty Lasky, who helped lead the study. “In order to test this, we wanted to extend our field of view to capture as much of the roadway around the exit ramp as possible.”
A camera, analytical software, solar panels, and a modem were mounted on poles near exit ramps. Video was recorded when the camera detected a wrong way driver, which allowed the team to study a vehicle’s path before, during, and after a wrong way driving incident.
California Attorney General Sues DeVos over Student Borrower Relief
On July 15, California Attorney
“Wrong Way” page 14
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Cali fornia, contends the repeal and replacement of the 2016 borrower defense regulations is arbitrary and capricious and does not comply with Congress’s requirement that the Secretary implement a meaningful process for borrowers to obtain relief.
Only about 4 percent of borrowers eligible for relief will actually get relief, according to Becerra.
Joining the lawsuit are attorneys general of Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, awaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. n •••
For information, visit oag,ca.gov.
JULY 2020 Aptos Real Estate Update Ruth Bates
831.359.2212 ruthbates1@gmail.com
CalBRE#01799929
It is a brave new world for sure! “Zoom” is now a verb, and everyone is using Zoom. Working from home is more-thanever a viable option. Thus, homes in Santa Cruz County are in high demand now. Sellers — IT IS A SELLER’S MARKET (Limited inventory, multiple buyers). Example: I worked with buyer clients on an off er for 107 Atherton Loop — 3 bed, 2.5 bath townhome in Aptos, listed for $784,000. Off ers were reviewed 7 days after listing, 6 off ers came in, and accepted fi nal off er was $820,000 (that’s $36,000 above list price!). My last three listings in Aptos all sold quickly at 97-99% of list price (411 Hillcrest — $1,380,000 on list price $1,395,000 — 99% of list, 324 Village Creek town home — $739,000 on list price of $749,000 — 99% of list, 727 Clubhouse — $1,050,000 on list price of $1,079,000 — 97% of list). All of these listings sold during Covid-19. Homes are selling quickly, but/and — there is one caveat. As a Seller you must have your home “ready to sell” and you must “price it correctly for what it is”. This means that you have completed your Home and Pest Inspections before you list and have done the necessary repairs before you list. You have completed your sewer lateral inspection and done the work if you can or are willing to negotiate for a lower price to have the buyer do the work. If your home is not “turnkey” (updated and pristine, move-in-ready which is what 95% of buyers want), then you need to price accordingly. If your home sits on the market for over 21 days in this market, you are overpriced. Buyers, there are things you can do to be more competitive in this market. Have your lender take your pre-approval as far as they can before you begin your search, let alone make an off er. Submit a cover letter with your off er; many sellers do care about who is going to purchase their treasured home. Shorten your physical contingency period from 17 days to 5-10 days based on reports and inspections already received from the Seller. Shorten your Appraisal (17) and Loan (21) contingency periods if you can; shorten your Close of Escrow from 40 to 30 days or whatever your Lender can allow. Ask what the Seller might need — do they want a short rent-back (<30 days), and if so, off er it for free if you can. Buyers should take the advantage NOW on Interest Rates. Bankrate.com quotes 3.25% -30- year fi xed National Average (7/6/20). Sellers — I off er a FREE value analysis (CMA). If you are even considering selling, please give me a call, email, text, and I’d be happy to help. Buyers, I can help you to purchase your dream home. SOLD is my favorite 4-letter word. Get Results with Ruth!
COMMUNITY NEWS Aptos Library Friends Want Ideas for Our Community Reads
Hello friends of Our Community Reads and the Aptos Library. We hope that you book lovers are finding the time to read during this very strange reality that we are living in today.
The pandemic has not curtailed our enthusiasm for Our Community Reads program, and our dedicated committee of the Friends of the Aptos Library is actively busy and in serious planning mode.
Naturally, we are not sure what to expect for how we will be hosting events next year, but we do know that we will find a way to engage all of you in some way, shape, or form! … And we promise not to select a book with themes of a pandemic!
Sometime in the near future you will be notified about our Voting Event planned for September. There is a strong likelihood that it will be a virtual get together via ZOOM. What we do know for sure is that we will present you with 3 Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal swore in 22 community members as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in foster care.
All of them completed the CASA 35-hour training program.
CASA of Santa Cruz County recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer Advocates who are matched one on one with a child in the county’s dependency (foster care) court system advocating for them the entire time they have a case open with the Court. As officers of the Court, CASA volunteers ensure or 4 very appealing titles for you to vote on.
As in past seasons, your vote will determine the selected book for the upcoming 2021 Season of Our Community Reads
We hope you enjoyed the events of our 2020 Season when we celebrated Patriot Number One, by Lauren Hilgers. We were fortunate to be able to provide a full calendar of events including an author talk, with the last event ending just one week before the stay-at-home orders were imposed. What lucky timing for us!
We would love to hear from you! If you have a book that you think would that the children’s needs are recognized and their best interests are considered in the courtroom, school, and in the community.
Although there is a great need for resonate with our community as a whole, is not more than 325 pages (give or take) and is appropriate for high school students 17 years or older, please reply to this email with the title and author.
Thank you so much for your continued support and enthusiasm. We hope you stay well, wear your masks, wash your hands, and we’ll see you, one way or the other, sometime in the near future.
Looking forward to hearing from you! n •••
Aptos Chapter of the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Library
Jim Bourne, Bobbie Edgin, Pat Emard, Kris Franceschi, Melanie Freitas, Gale Farthing, Barbara Gaebe, Ofelia García, Teri Handzel, Coni Hendry, Sandy Laue, Diana Mejia, Eileen Miller, Ginny Morris, Lynn McNussen, Debby Peronto, Jodi Pratt, Susan Schenck, Denise Ward, Eliot Weiss, and Tricia
On June 16, Santa Cruz County
Wynne
bilingual and male volunteers, CASA always encourage people from all cultures and professions and of all ethnic and educational backgrounds to learn more.
Online informational sessions for community members to learn about getting involved with CASA are scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, July 16, and 10 a.m. Friday, July 24.
For information on how to become a CASA volunteer Advocate, contact CASA Outreach Coordinator, Cita Rasul, at (831) 761-2956, ext. 102, or visit www.casaofsantacruz.org/volunteer. ••• From top left to bottom right: Suzanne Feutz, Jenny Hundemer (trainer), Stacey Blasing, Diane O’Carroll, Nancy Caroline Mann, Rebecca King, Patricia Steinfurth, Suzie Dailey, Nicole Ramirez, Emily Crandall, Julianne May, Prateek Arora, James Holman (staff), Michelle Terra, Uriel Leon, Dana Snyder, Crystal Diaz, Ray Ruiz, Brenda Vasquez, Teresa Delfino, Ashley Ramirez, Melissa Wolf, Wendy Jacoby, Mary Gaukel Forster.
