Columns

The holiday season is a time of joy, connection and celebration, but it can also bring stress, overwhelm and even loneliness. Practicing gratitude can help you navigate the emotional ups and downs of this time of year by fostering a sense of contentment and...

May is shaping up to be busy in the Fifth District with several great community events and notable progress on important issues. On May 11, the 27th annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards will be at Scotts Valley High School. This is a special opportunity for...

One of the most dramatic sights in a garden is an ornamental grass backlit by late afternoon sun. They seem to come alive as their tawny flowers spikes glow and sway in the breeze. Their gentle movement and soft whispering sounds can bring your...

It’s clear that storm fatigue is a real thing. From overhearing conversations in the grocery store line to hearing folks express gratitude for their good luck, or even finding silver linings in their misfortunes, it seems like everyone is feeling the effects of these...

While waiting at a stoplight on Glen Arbor Road in Ben Lomond I glanced over at the long row of lovely golden yellow daffodils gracing the side of the road. Those daffodils have appeared each of the 18 years I have lived here announcing that...

“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...

We all enjoy privacy around our homes. Even if you’re best friends with your neighbor, you don’t always want to wave at them each morning. Whether you have a property tucked way back in the forest with a next-door neighbor that looks right down...

“ollege graduates enjoy lower unemployment rates and higher incomes than do those without college education…those with college degrees consistently score higher in life satisfaction and happiness surveys. They are more likely to marry and less likely to divorce. College graduates even live longer and...

Chairman Mao once paraded landlords before crowds to their deaths and many today would confiscate landlord’s control over property without recompense. When tax clients ask why the rich pay few taxes, I puzzle depreciation expenses, passive income and Trump’s Section 199 qualified business income...

My little garden bounced back pretty quickly after our recent snow. Other than the calla lilies that are none too happy now but will recover, the rest of the plants seem just fine. The native and ornamental flowering trees are coming on like nothing...