Columns

We hear a lot about the academic summer slide—the learning loss that can happen when kids are out of school for months at a time. But there’s another kind of summer slide that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: the mental health slide. And it...

“Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” —Alfre Lord Tennyson Each day as “Eventide” approaches, I find myself looking at my sweet Hubby’s empty chair that sits alongside mine and repeatedly remind myself that I have been so...

Contrary to the belief that Bagels and Lox were first contrived by the Jewish people, this delicious concoction made its way to America in the early 20th century by the Scandinavian fishermen as they immigrated through New York’s Ellis Island. Homes did not have refrigerators,...

Every year as I get down the Christmas decorations I think about past holidays with friends and family. Who was that well-fed baby in my Dad’s 35mm films? And then there was Aunt Ruth’s aluminum Christmas tree with the rotating color wheel. I remember...

I ran to represent the Fifth District, and that means making sure our mountain communities are heard and that county decisions reflect the realities people are living every day. As I enter my second year, we are facing serious challenges—harmful federal policy changes, climate-driven disasters...

Tucked on window sills and tabletops, my houseplants clean the air and provide indoor beauty while the landscape outdoors is mostly resting. They are easy to keep healthy if I follow a few tips during the dark days of winter. it’s their time to...

I was in the kitchen adding eggs to the batter in my Mixmaster when the lights began to blink, that tell-tale sign that our lights were about to go off here in Ben Lomond. I turned up the mixer’s speed, trying to outrun PG&E,...

Children can get anxiety just like adults. Whether it’s adjusting to the changes at school or home, social anxiety, separation anxiety, or generalized anxiety disorder, it’s important to recognize the signs of anxiety in children, take them seriously, and know how to support your...

Always on the look out for potential problems in my garden, I can use all the help I can get. Solutions are out there. One of my go-to websites that I use to diagnose those problems is UC Integrated Pest Management or ipm.ucanr.edu. You...

Last November, the Scotts Valley community made a powerful investment in its future by approving Measure O, an $85 million school facilities bond dedicated to upgrading and modernizing our campuses.  Since the bond measure passed, the District has been working behind the scenes to plan,...