The Mountain Gardener | Thoughts for the New Year
I don’t know about you, but it seemed to me that 2023 was a challenge for the plants in my little garden. Between the atmospheric rivers and the cold nights in late spring, I barely got my herbs started in June. Then the weather...
Fitness | Is Your Body Healing You or Hurting You?
We all know fitness makes us strong, fit and healthy, but being in great shape is not just limited to those benefits. What happens if you get a fracture or break or if you had to get a procedure done, such as a surgery....
The Mountain Gardener | A Christmas Poem
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the garden,The creatures were stirring, the deer got a pardon. The hummingbird feeders were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that the Anna's soon would be there.
The flowering cherries were nestled all snug in their beds,While...
Finance | Financing Home Care in San Lorenzo Valley
As a paraplegic planner, I have faced the need for part-time in-home assistance while simultaneously having the CFP financial expertise. Caregivers do non-medical tasks like transferring, bathing, meal prep, transportation, protective supervision, etc. Seventy percent of us are likely to need long-term care with...
Plain Talk About Food | Is There a ‘Watch Bird’ Watching You?
Imagine being 5 years old and learning (from the other kids) it was possible, just possible…there was NO Santa Claus. This 5-year-old was devastated.
In my little and quite poor hometown, the one hope we kids had was to get our one wish for Christmas...
The Mountain Gardener | Holiday Traditions & Lore
We all have traditions that we look forward to every year during the holidays. For some it’s the annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. For others it’s planning a holiday get-together with friends and family. While decorating my tree this year, I thought...
Guest Column | Scotts Valley Working to Make Town Center a Reality
You may have noticed that a new fence has gone up around the future home of Scotts Valley’s town center off Mt. Hermon Road. In November, 1,400 tons of contaminated soil were removed from the site, and with it, one of the reasons the...
Guest View | A Log in the Forest
I teach the lesson of humility;Overstretched snaps the bow,The usefulness of futility;The advantage of laying low. —Laozi
Laozi once left eternal wisdom with a border guard as he wandered off into forests unknown. This paraplegic author outlined his hiking injuries in the Press Banner article,...
The Mountain Gardener | Make Your Own Holiday Wreath
The call came last week reminding me of a much awaited annual holiday event. The Kelly’s wreath making party in Felton is something I look forward to each year to kick off the season.
The holiday season just wouldn’t be complete without a day spent...
Strictly Business | AI in Small Town America: Part II
In today’s news and on social media, you've probably heard the phrase, “The Genie is out of the Bottle,” referring to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a “new” technology. But let’s take a step back in time. AI research dates back to the 1950s and...
New Scotts Valley Council members look forward to making their mark
After first-place finisher Donna Lind, the incumbent for Scotts Valley City Council, local voters selected Steve Clark—a retired law enforcer, known for volunteering around...