Columns

“Could a greater miracle take place than to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” —Henry Davis Thoreau That day in Boulder Creek was much like these past few days have been, cold with on and off spurts of rain with some sun mixed...

Our Santa Cruz County court will soon begin our process of interviewing and selecting our 2024-25 Civil Grand Jury, and we hope you will consider applying. Serving on the grand jury is a tremendous opportunity to support our local community and to contribute to the...

“In a recent nationwide survey of working age Americans, 79% agree that the nation faces a retirement savings crisis…more than half of Americans (55%) are concerned that they cannot achieve financial security in retirement.” —Dan Doonan, Forbes Do not buy stocks because market timing feels...

Taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. Small, simple actions that turn into habits can make a big difference in how you feel and how you handle life’s stressors. Whether you're a busy parent, a student juggling responsibilities,...

A Facebook friend posts photos taken of her yard with lots of turkeys and deer families. How can you not love a picture of those cute fawns covered with spots? There's something about babies. You know that feeling when you see a new infant...

Some Santa Cruz Mountain residents have taxes so simple they fit on form 1040 alone—wages and pensions—and they don’t need an alphabet to complicate their taxes. The IRS divides income into three “baskets”—ordinary, capital gains and passive—and discourages offsetting losses from one basket from...

The assignment: create a cutting garden. For a designer this is the best kind of request. Until about 100 years ago, one of the most important areas of any large garden was the cutting garden where flowers were harvested like a crop and taken...

I love Asparagus, whether fresh or canned, or green, purple or white. And I just recently discovered that asparagus seems to resonate with people and their likes and dislikes, much the same way as do brussels sprouts. Asparagus falls into the “love it or...

This is the time of year to re-imagine your garden. Sure, that cleanup and weed control is an ongoing task, but it’s more fun to picture yourself outside when the weather warms, enjoying that space. What easy things can you do this year to...

During the past 12 years, as your Fifth District Supervisor covering Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley, it has been my honor to represent you in county government. This District and all of Santa Cruz County look much different now than when I took...