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April 6-12 marks National Library Week, and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) invites the community to explore the wealth of resources and programs available at their local branches. Libraries serve as vital hubs for all ages, offering such activities as storytime for families, makerspaces...

After months of public petitions, contentious meetings and letters to the editor, the planned installation of a pump track at Felton Covered Bridge Park is officially underway. On March 4, local nonprofit Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) began fundraising efforts to support pump track...

If you have a student within the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District (SLVUSD), you may have seen Deputy April Skalland around campus. As a School Resource Officer (SRO) for SLVUSD, Skalland is a familiar face to students, staff and parents alike. Whether helping direct...

For the past few years, more often than not, you could find Alan Strong perched on a folding chair on break from his janitorial duties at La Placa Family Bakery, sitting under the redwoods, gazing out at the one-story restaurant with the fountain on...

California State Parks has announced the delayed reopening of the seasonal campground at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, now scheduled for Aug. 1, instead of the previously set April 1 date. This delay, attributed to adverse weather and supply chain issues, affects crucial infrastructure...

Walk into the Starbucks at Graham Plaza in Scotts Valley on a Friday morning, and you’ll be met with more than just mochas and macchiatos. Each Friday, members of the PerSisters, an all-female grassroots letter-writing campaign group, gather to handwrite 200-250 postcards to voters all...

San Lorenzo Valley High School played host to more than 45 different colleges, universities, state agencies and local businesses at the annual SLVHS College and Career Fair on March 19. Students browsed the tables staffed by participating groups; their feedback was positive, and several students...

Supervisors approve reforms to short-term rental ordinance In a significant step toward balancing tourism with community needs, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has voted to advance a comprehensive overhaul of the County’s Vacation and Hosted Rental Ordinance. The proposed reforms, which aim to curb...

Get ready to have your heart teased and tousled as Mountain Community Theater (MCT) presents “Steel Magnolias,” opening this weekend at Park Hall in Ben Lomond. Co-directed by Peter Gelblum and Susan McKay, and starring Manirose Bobisuthi as Truvy Jones, Sarah Mitchler as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto,...

Merrylou White, a 70-year-old resident of the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Pleasure Point, had purchased a pass for all three days of this year’s Scotts Valley Alfred Hitchcock Festival, held this past weekend, March 14-16. White grew up in Los Gatos, attending Los Gatos High...