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...

I don’t grow corn in my small, shady garden, so I’m not sure how tall they’d be by now if I planted on May Day when the soil was 50 degrees, but that’s how the saying goes. This column isn’t about growing corn, however,...

Nothing piques my interest more than the roadside vegetable stands on Highway 1 while driving from Watsonville through Moss Landing and eventually diving through Castroville, the home of the Artichoke Festival. However, Hubby Norm did not feel my enthusiasm. Making this stop from this busy...

“The more you read, the more you’ll know. The more you know, the more you can earn.” —Dr. Seuss. About those Annuities Investopedia speaks of investments growing recently with market fears, yet “Only about 11%-12% of retirement-age households own annuities, and even fewer rely on them...

Think like a plant. The weather might be cool one day, really hot the next day. And your plants are growing like mad in order to reproduce, which is their life’s work. All this takes water, which is the elixir of life for us...

We often hear that multitasking is impossible. Experts tell us our brains are not wired to do several things at once. Then you meet someone like Danielle Ratliff and begin to wonder if she somehow missed the memo. When I arrived for our conversation, Danielle’s...

Having addressed the frequent questions about development, with the help of Public Works Director Rodolfo Onchi, I will attempt to address the second most-asked questions that council members receive—street repairs! Questions include: When will Scotts Valley Drive be upgraded? What about the manhole covers that...

Strength training is not just for bodybuilders. Weight training is necessary for all ages whether the age is 7, 30 or 80 years old. Kids can begin strength training at age 7 using their own body weight, then can graduate to using light weights...

Want to be able to walk outside and pick some flowers to take to a friend’s house or bring inside to enjoy yourself? Not long ago I was looking around my own little garden for good flowers to cut for a bouquet. I had...

This Father’s Day I have no plans to be cooking for a crowd. I am taking the weekend off. However, I have included a recipe for an absolutely delicious ribeye steak that would please any father on his special day. A wonderful way to...