Columns

There can be no better way to start this month’s column than with the news that we finally broke ground at Scotts Valley High on the new sports complex. We finally received approval from the Division of the State Architect (DSA) in Sacramento on...

“Millennials were the most planned and wanted generation in American history to date. While Gen X’ers turned the individualism of Boomers to the level of a blasé assumption, Millennials raised the bar: The individual self was not merely important; it was paramount. It was...

Last November, the Scotts Valley community made a powerful investment in its future by approving Measure O, an $85 million school facilities bond dedicated to upgrading and modernizing our campuses.  Since the bond measure passed, the District has been working behind the scenes to plan,...

Being the type who doesn’t take no for an answer, I’m going to try growing veggies on my shady deck again. I wasn’t very successful a couple years ago. I thought that three hours of hot midday sun would be enough for green beans...

Many, many years ago my landscape designer group was fortunate to get a private tour by the head gardener at Filoli Gardens. One of the takeaways from this informative afternoon was the plants that have survived there since the early 1900s without any care....

Recently there have been many questions about new development in Scotts Valley. As has been widely reported, the City has worked to meet the requirements of recent State Housing mandates. Many of the new projects have taken advantage of new state law that overrides...

Trump tax contains more than the itemized deductions and child taxes I previously discussed; he sought votes from modest earners, donations from the rich and manufacturing growth from business. Missing after 2025 are environmental credits for solar power, thermal efficiency and Electric Vehicles. Tax...

Over the past few weeks, many neighbors have stopped me around the valley asking about the work happening at Mountain Community Resources (MCR) and what it means for the services provided there. Those conversations matter, because they reflect both how much this center is...

I’m ready for spring. These warm spells have given me spring fever. Many plants blooming now are fragrant. Mother Nature encourages pollinators to find sweet nectar thereby ensuring plant propagation. What makes flowers fragrant anyway? Fragrance in flowers is nature’s way of encouraging pollination. Just...

Remember when you started your own business? That quiet question that lingers in the background: Will I succeed … and what was I thinking? Most of my articles focus on one local business at a time. This one is a double take. Two women, two...