Columns

The Fiscal Year 2023-24 City of Scotts Valley budget includes cautious revenue assumptions as we continue to face inflation and economic uncertainty. The last year has been marked with rebuilding and resilience as we fully emerge from the global pandemic, while experiencing ongoing economic...

My Uncle Eli, having been born in Stavanger, Norway, had fishing in his blood, so to speak, and for as long as I knew him, every Salmon fishing season, uncle would spend Saturday’s fishing alongside the banks of the Chehalis River in Centralia Washington,...

File this under the heading “Be careful what you wish for.” The Dog Days of Summer aren’t even here yet, but the thermometer is inching toward 100 degrees. How’s your garden looking? All plants need water—even those that are tolerant of our summer dry conditions....

July is Social Wellness Month. Social wellness is all about fostering positive connections, not just with family and friends, but also with our communities, colleagues and strangers we meet along the way. Why Social Wellness Is Important Three benefits of social well-being: Improves mental health and overall...

When you think of working out, what comes to mind? Going to a gym perhaps? Which is a common thought right, but going to the gym isn’t the only option to get a great training session in. You don’t always need fancy equipment that...

Summer has arrived, finally. Seems like it took long enough to get here, but I’m enjoying the warmer weather. The sun is shining, the bees are buzzing and the scent of fragrant flowers fills the air. While hiking recently in Oregon, I encountered many Mock...

Santa Cruz County recently received some unsettling, although not surprising, news that we are the most expensive rental housing market in the United States. In rankings compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the Santa Cruz-Watsonville market topped even San Francisco, San Jose, Salinas...

Gardens have different personalities. Some gardens mimic nature with plants that attract birds and butterflies and other wildlife and look a bit wild. Some are neat and tidy with perennials lined up evenly along pathways and clipped hedges under the windows. Gardens are a...

Even though my kids are all-grown-up, nothing pleases me more than hearing them tell me how much they love my cooking, and often they will comment on the food they are eating, food that tastes “just like Grandma used to make.” Grandma Anna, my mother-in-law,...

With so many people replacing their thirsty lawns with low water-use plants, I’m getting lots of requests for ideas about what to do with all that empty space. The sky’s the limit when you have a blank slate. Let me get you started. If your...