Columns

On this rainy day, I’m picturing my garden and deck this summer filled with colorful flowers. The bumblebees will be happy, the hummingbirds will be happy, I'll be happy. Or will I?  I recently read about a study in France that suggests that humans are...

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.” ...

“All of us at some time or other, need help. Whether we are giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors in our own ways, each...

A quiet revolution is underway in Santa Cruz Mountains’ lush valleys amidst the towering redwoods and winding creeks. It’s a tale of resilience, community and the enduring power of connections—the resurgence of networking in the San Lorenzo Valley (SLV). As we gathered together after the...

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...

Summer fruit season is upon us as those beautiful peaches, pears, plums and now apples are showing up at the local farmers markets. Sadly, I have had to turn down offers from neighbors to share in their bounty, as there is only myself now...

As I reflect on 2022, it’s difficult to imagine another year that brought as much change to Santa Cruz County in terms of policymaking and planning. As we continued recovering from the CZU Fire and Covid-19 pandemic, the Board of Supervisors completed a number...

“I enjoy cooking with wine,  sometimes I even put it in the food I’m cooking.”  - Julia Child Give me a good old American-style beef pot roast, with all its dark wine-rich drippings and a crusty French roll, and I am in heaven. In just one week, my...

Do you ever feel stressed? You are not alone. Whether it’s the pressures of work, relationships, financial worries or the constant bombardment of information from technology, stress seems to be ever-present in our lives. However, while some level of stress is normal and even beneficial...

What fun it must have been for the children raised in the 1900s at Filoli Estate. You can just imagine what a kid could do on 654 acres of orchards, fields and gardens creating a maze of places to hide and seek. As gardeners,...