Columns

It was in 1955 when the Kingston Trio first sang “Where Have All the Young Men Gone,” written by Pete Seeger about all the soldiers lost in the past wars. “When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn,” Pete wrote. I have been...

I was standing in the back of the Senior Center of Scotts Valley building, amongst the Oak trees, in the grass where 25 people had gathered, spaced out, already moving their bodies slowly, in a rhythmic manner, guided by Denise Allen. I had arrived late,...

Reaching for a box of golden raisins for my persimmon puddings in Ben Lomond market the other day, I smiled, remembering the little box of raisins that was pressed into my hand, oh so many years ago, but forever in my memory. My Hubby Norm...

We the people are watching our country burn, seeing images on television and social media of police in riot gear storming our nation’s capital in Washington D.C. as it is overrun by Americans who believe they have been cheated and wronged and disenfranchised. We the...

When I look back on four decades of public service, there is one issue that has remained a top priority for me and the people I have had the privilege to represent in county and state government: Protecting our local environment. As a member of...

Wearing something green on St. Patrick’s Day has been a tradition since immigrants, particularly in the United States, transformed the holiday into a largely secular event celebrating all things Irish. Cities with large numbers of Irish immigrants staged parades going back to 1737 in...

If you want to save on taxes, do what the government wants you to do. Indeed, save for retirement so you don’t burden your family or neighbors as you limit your livelihood in old age, and encourage employees to save. Once standard, today government employees...

It’s beginning to look like Halloween in my neighborhood with chrysanthemums and pumpkins on porches, skeletons and ghouls decorating front doors and posts on Facebook about tarantula sightings as the spiders go about their fall mating ritual. It’s the plants that get my attention...

It’s not too late, but time is running out if you’re looking to add fruit and nut trees, berries and vegetables to your garden while they’re still available in bare root. Did you know just how long that new fruit tree will be around...

The cry for help came from a new homeowner. She loves her lovely new home but feels everything in the garden is in the wrong place. She wishes to create “a haven for birds and bugs and give it a sense of life.” The...