Happy New Year, from the evolving Press Banner
The year 2021’s arrival is welcome news, and all of us at the Press Banner are excited about what lies ahead. Over the past three months, there have been some changes: new ownership, a new office, a new web site and an improved print...
Winter’s bold fruit
The Persimmon tree first caught my eye many years ago as I turned onto Highway 9 near my Ben Lomond home. Only minutes earlier I had been pondering about my choice of dessert for our annual Winter Solstice celebratory dinner.
This tree seems to magically...
Battling invasive plants and diseases
I have a nice Improved Meyer Lemon tree where I live. Because of water restrictions by the Big Basin Water Company, it doesn’t get as much irrigation as I’d like but it still looks pretty good and has quite a few ripening lemons on...
Finishing a Tough Year Strong
Because this past year has been a very busy one for District 5, it is not at all surprising that we will end 2021 with a great deal of activity. Let’s start with the County’s ongoing response to Covid-19, which continues to be a...
Letters to the Editor, October 30
Pollak will be your voice
As a parent of two young children and as a local community member, I whole-heartedly believe that Grace Pollak is exactly who we want and need on the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District School Board.
Grace is a parent of...
Letters to the Editor, April 2
Fine line was crossed
Trust in the media is in decline. It’s one of the reasons our country finds itself more divided today than we have been in recent memory. One of the reasons for this erosion of trust is the softening of the traditional...
Favorite Japanese Maples
I have two Japanese maples on my deck. They are not nearly as large as those I had up in Bonny Doon but you have to start somewhere. One is a common acer palmatum seedling and the other a ‘Sanguo Kaku.’ They have not...
Guest Column | Scotts Valley back then
One intersection with traffic lights. No high school. No movie theater. No transit center. One big shopping center. That was Scotts Valley when I arrived as a reporter for what is now the Press Banner 50 years ago.
But Scotts Valley was not a one-horse...
The Mountain Gardener | Gardening Tips for the Allergy Sufferer
Several of my friends suffer from allergies nearly year round starting in January. Most of us don’t notice the amount of pollen in the air even when it’s cold, but my friends sure do.
Everybody blames the Acacia tree for their allergies, but they are...
New Scotts Valley Council members look forward to making their mark
After first-place finisher Donna Lind, the incumbent for Scotts Valley City Council, local voters selected Steve Clark—a retired law enforcer, known for volunteering around...