Making a holiday wreath
You can have chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose, but what would the holidays be without a beautiful wreath to decorate the door? Maybe you want to put together a swag for the mantle or candle holder...
The Mountain Gardener | Adding a Dry Creek Bed to Landscape
With so many people replacing their thirsty lawns with low water-use plants, I’m getting lots of requests for ideas about what to do with all that empty space. The sky’s the limit when you have a blank slate. Let me get you started.
If your...
Allergy mitigation landscaping
According to historical records for our area the pollen count is mostly moderate in February. Depending on the weather, Pollen.com and Pollenlibrary.com show medium to high counts only for a few days this month. If you’re an allergy sufferer you don’t need a website...
TherapyWorks | 5 Essential Elements of a Healthy Relationship
There’s no denying that relationships are hard. Maintaining connection and keeping the spark alive when life gets overwhelming and stressful can be hard. But with focus, attention and commitment, you can build and sustain a thriving relationship.
While no relationship is perfect, there are some...
The Mountain Gardener | Growing Vegetables in Containers, Small Spaces or Shade
I have been gardening for a very long time. But even now I feel I know just a little bit about a whole lot of subjects. Every day I learn something new. Now that spring weather has finally arrived I’m anxious to start planting...
An entrepreneur with a giving spirit
What do you get when you combine a community builder, entrepreneur and innovative problem solver? Greg Wimp.
In 2020, Greg, owner of four local Togo’s businesses in Santa Cruz County, donated thousands of sandwiches throughout our county to fire evacuees, first responders, frontline workers, salon...
Plain Talk About Food | The Secret of Aunt Betty’s ‘Crust Dust’
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...
Issues from 2020 will follow us into 2021
By Bruce McPherson, County Supervisor
It’s an understandable instinct at the end of each calendar year to wrap up undone business and start the new year fresh. Unfortunately, 2020 will not afford us that opportunity as two big issues will carry over into 2021 and...
The problem with S.T.A.R. testing
Editor's note: Below is the full version of a commentary that was published in the May 6 Press-Banner. The version below has not been edited for length or style.
Stop the bait-and-switch with your tax dollars, save Scotts Valley Police Department
By Scotts Valley Police Officers’ Association
Our fellow community members, tax payers and friends, your dedicated Police Officers’ Association can no longer remain silent about a lack of transparency regarding the critical status of your police department, the dramatic decrease in services (resulting in spiking...
News Briefs | Published Sept. 12, 2025
Fun run, emergency preparedness fair set for Saturday
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the City of Santa Cruz will be hosting Race the Wave, a 3K...