Opinion

Many years ago I started writing a book about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of many interesting subjects I researched was the different soils we have here in the mountains. I don’t need to tell you if you garden in dense clay,...

“…it is a day when time seems to stand still. Inviting us to pause, look inward, and ask the hard questions about who we are and who we hope to become. Yom Kippur opens a door to forgiveness—for others, for ourselves and for the...

Winter brings leadership to Fire Board race Some people lead by laughter, using humor to help us see things we had not noticed. Others lead by words, speaking truth so clearly it cannot be ignored, and pointing a way forward. Others lead by example, always...

It’s hard to believe, but as you read this, we’ve just completed six weeks of the “new” school year. And there’s a lot going on, so let’s dive in. This month, we continue our district-wide focus on math across all grade levels, partnering with the...

Soil is a wonderful thing. It grows our food, anchors our trees and provides a foundation under our feet. But it sure can be hard to work with when it’s not the soft, crumbly loam that many plants prefer. It’s amazing that anything grows...

“History Doesn't Repeat Itself, But It Often Rhymes.” —Mark Twain Tragic economic poetry with unprincipled presidents rhymes all too often. Trump and Nixon challenged the Constitution and made pacts with devils paid with fiat money to win elections. Nixon left communists shamefully ruling Vietnam, while...

How efficient is your reaction time? Think back, when was the last time you tripped but caught yourself from falling. Did you know your nervous system has a millisecond to react the right muscles to prevent a fall when you trip. If that signal...

Summer is winding down. It’s still warm during the day, but the nights are cool and there’s less and less daylight hours. The soil is still warm, so it’s the perfect time to start thinking about planting. Like the saying goes, “gardening is a...

Fridays, as a small child, was a very important day of the week; this was the day Uncle would reach deep into his pocket of his bib overalls, sorting out a dime and a nickel, my week’s allowance for helping Aunt in her kitchen. Friday...

Every August, my feed fills up with first-day-of-school photos. Backpacks bigger than the kids wearing them. Gap-toothed grins on the porch. New shoes, fresh haircuts, eager anticipation. I love those photos. But after years of working with families, here's what I've learned. The first day...