The Mountain Gardener | Add the Colors of a Sunset to Your Garden
Enjoying a spectacular sunset on a warm evening in the summertime is one of life’s simple pleasures. Peach and orange tones bounce off the bottom of gauzy cirrus clouds as they streak across the sky. Combine these warm colors with varying shades of blue...
Finance | Hedging Strategies Reconsidered?
A year ago, I publicly recommended that investors hedge bets against stocks in fear that Trump tariffs would start devastating trade wars. The Supreme Court temporarily saved us, but now we face both tariffs and “forever war” with Iran or desperate peace which sacrifices...
Letters to the Editor | Published Aug. 7, 2026
Scotts Valley PO Mail Delays Draw Concern
I am writing concerning service degradation at the Scotts Valley Post Office.
We recently mailed two Priority Mail packages at the Post Office: May 26 and July 20, 2026. Each of these packages was scanned into the system at...
TherapyWorks | Why Grown-Ups Need Friends, Too
Think back to when you were 10 years old. Making a friend was as simple as sharing a swing set or trading half a sandwich at lunch. Fast forward a few decades, and somehow the whole thing feels... complicated. If you’ve ever thought, “How...
The Mountain Gardener | Kids and Pets in the Garden
My friend, Grace, visited the other day. She’s almost 7 years old now and is really getting into plants, flowers and especially the birds that visit my little garden. She spent a lot of time quietly watching and listening to all the songbirds, hummingbirds...
Strictly Business | When Fire Insurance Feels Impossible, Mike Boffy Finds A Way
Sometimes the people making the biggest difference in our community aren’t the ones seeking attention. They are simply showing up every day, solving problems and helping their neighbors. That perfectly describes Mike Boffy, our downtown Felton Farmers Insurance agent.
For many San Lorenzo Valley residents,...
Letters to the Editor | Published July 31, 2026
Blum’s Leadership Helped Secure Fire Assessment
I would like to thank Interim Chief Isaac Blum for being such an inspiration to the volunteer firefighters, the FFPD Board and our whole community.
In sharing his vision for the future of FFPD, he shared his own history of...
Mayor’s Message | Scotts Valley Celebrates Our 60th Birthday!
As August approaches, Scotts Valley is preparing to celebrate 60 years since becoming a city.
In September 1960, residents learned of plans to build a cemetery in the middle of Scotts Valley, not far from Santa’s Village. Residents organized a protest attending a County Planning...
Plain Talk About Food | Bagels and Lox—Oy Vey!
Contrary to the belief that Bagels and Lox were first contrived by the Jewish people, this delicious concoction made its way to America in the early 20th century by the Scandinavian fishermen as they immigrated through New York’s Ellis Island.
Homes did not have refrigerators,...
The Mountain Gardener | How Flowers Adapt to a Changing Climate
I read about a study in France a while ago that suggests that humans are quickly altering the way flowers are reproducing, and it’s happening in just 20 generations. Toxic pesticides and vanishing habitats have driven down the populations of bees and other pollinators,...
Central Coast Good Fire Fair returns Saturday to Henry Cowell Redwoods...
California State Parks will host the third Central Coast Good Fire Fair and demonstration burn Saturday, Oct. 10, at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
The...




















