Columns

‘Tis the season. Well, not really that one. The holiday season comes a bit later this year. But if you look around, you’ll notice this spring that organizations and people all throughout the county are being honored and celebrated for their volunteer work. The...

It’s that time again: The days get shorter with daylight savings, and poor weather conditions start to arrive. This is where seasonal affective disorder takes effect on many folks. It’s triggered by the change of seasons and most commonly begins in late fall. This is...

If you see a recurring theme in my columns about growing successfully in a shady garden, it’s because my last three houses have all had a lot of shade. You’d think I’d have so much experience by now that all my plants would bloom...

I don’t grow corn in my small, shady garden, so I’m not sure how tall they’d be by now if I planted on May Day when the soil was 50 degrees, but that’s how the saying goes. And from what I’ve read about the...

Everywhere I look, it’s green—forest green, apple green, olive green, fern green, sage green, chartreuse green. Even all those showy flowering trees blooming now will soon be sporting bright green leaves.  Since moving to the Santa Cruz Mountains in the late ’80s I have always...

A quiet revolution is underway in Santa Cruz Mountains’ lush valleys amidst the towering redwoods and winding creeks. It’s a tale of resilience, community and the enduring power of connections—the resurgence of networking in the San Lorenzo Valley (SLV). As we gathered together after the...

Good news! Scotts Valley is making headway on some significant road projects across the city. These are all vital improvements that will allow travelers to drive, cycle and walk safely through our city. Here is a list of locations where you can expect to...

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” —Benjamin Franklin Death and taxes misshape the legacies we mold with our lives and values. As a widower, I advise survivors to honestly accept pain and meditate until it passes. Distraught...

In November, we are focused on two issues that are often in the forefront of people’s minds throughout Santa Cruz County and especially in District 5—water and roads. Let’s start with water. My office has spent a great deal of time on shaping a better...

New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to makeyour regular annual good resolutions. Next weekyou can begin paving hell with them as usual. —Mark Twain Over the past 40-some years, I have made dozens of New Year’s resolutions, some I have succeeded in keeping, and...