Opinion

SVFD hosts successful strategic planning workshop On March 7, the Scotts Valley Fire District hosted a strategic planning workshop to develop vision and goals for the department’s next five years. I want to commend and thank community stakeholders, administrative staff, fire suppression personnel, chief officers and...

“ollege graduates enjoy lower unemployment rates and higher incomes than do those without college education…those with college degrees consistently score higher in life satisfaction and happiness surveys. They are more likely to marry and less likely to divorce. College graduates even live longer and...

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...

I was such a little thing when Uncle picked me up and sat me down on a red leather stool that swiveled. Honestly, I remember clutching the counter in front of me because of any movement on my part, I would be going “down.” It...

Many, many years ago my landscape designer group was fortunate to get a private tour by the head gardener at Filoli Gardens. One of the takeaways from this informative afternoon was the plants that have survived there since the early 1900s without any care....

When we hear the term “self care,” we often think of solo activities—reading a book, journaling, taking a bath or going for a walk alone. But true self care isn’t just about what we do by ourselves—it’s also about how we engage with the...

The market dipped 1.7% today (Feb. 21, 2025) with fears of tariff wars and inflation, but I sleep well. This CFP generally encourages securities investors to buy diversified baskets of low load mutual funds and ETFs for stocks, options or bonds. Stockpickers usually won’t beat...

I live on Boulder Creek where the native red alder is in full bloom. Their catkins release wind-borne pollen, which along with the redwoods wreak havoc with my friends with seasonal allergies. According to Pollen.com, the allergy alert today is medium high at 7.4....

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill Often when I am in Santa Cruz and near Shopper’s Corner Market, I pop in to visit their meat counter. Their array of beautifully displayed cuts...

Protect our future by demanding climate responsibility from pension funds I am writing to express my concerns regarding our state’s public pension fund. I’m urging them to vote for climate action at this spring’s shareholder meetings for the major corporations the pensions are invested in. As...