Columns

September is a month that signals change in the garden. You can feel the weather shifting. Days are not always quite so hot and the nights are longer and cooler. Some plants are at their prime, while others are winding down for the season. I...

“The spoil is made of butterfly wings, dinosaur teeth, pumpkin sees, lizard skins and fallen leaves. Put your hands in the soil and touch yesterday and all that will be left of tomorrow shall return so that new life can celebrate this day.” —Betty...

Nestled in the heart of downtown Felton, SCM Clothing Glass & A$$ is redefining the shopping experience. It is located conveniently across from RiteAid on Highway 9. This unique store combines an extraordinary mix of themed T-shirts, custom hats, adult pleasure toys and premium...

Not long ago I got a call from a homeowner with a very bare, very steep slope behind his house that was in dire need of some kind of erosion control and he needed it pronto. In the rebuild process after the fire, the...

While it might sound selfish or impossible to make time for self-care during stressful times of your life, self-care is crucial to keep you healthy, happy and balanced. During stressful periods in our lives we tend to focus outward, disregarding ourselves and our needs....

As we celebrate the holidays, I am very thankful for our community, Scotts Valley City Staff and our various commissioners and fellow city council members. I look forward to continuing the good work that has been accomplished through the pandemic, including 2022. It’s been exciting...

When the huge numbers of California Tortoiseshell butterflies showed up around here on June 10, I learned a lot about the different species of ceanothus and how dependent we are on this plant. Because most of us live near or in a Wildland Urban...

Due to a surge in Covid-19 infections brought on by the delta variant of the virus this summer, there will now be a mobile testing site based in Felton through a partnership with Mountain Community Resources. The Community Bridges program, located at 6134 Highway...

It was one of those almost too bright sunny mornings. You know the kind: Where you have to stop and wait until your eyes adjust to the light when coming back inside. Grabbing the ringing telephone, I heard my stepfather’s voice shouting “come quick.” ...

“171,000 people experience homelessness daily. California is home to… 30% of the nation’s homeless population, and half the nation’s unsheltered population.” —Kushel, Moore, et al., “Toward a New Understanding” (2023) We all play musical chairs in Santa Cruz County because 80,000 new residents since 1980...