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...
Fragrance in the garden
A couple of years ago I bought a dwarf butterfly bush and planted it in a pot near my entry. It’s one of the plants that came back from the roots after the fire and it now lives on my deck but in a...
Think Local First
Last year challenged us, not just globally and nationally, but, especially, locally. We know what happened here with the businesses shutting down and stay-at-home demands. Compounded by our local fires, we witnessed firsthand how small local towns band together and support their own. I...
Remember to cast your vote
I’m a member of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors but I’m speaking only for myself today. I want to thank everyone for being engaged in the surcharge issue over the past weeks. I’ve seen each of the letter responses, read...
Letters to the Editor, July 30
Let’s keep our water rates affordable
I think the numbers and logic regarding a proposed San Lorenzo Valley Water District surcharge simply do not add up. Water rates fund operations, reserves and long-term debt. Large infrastructure projects, including those required due to fire damages, are...
The dog days of summer are here
They’re called the dog days of summer. You know, those sultry days with the hottest summer temperatures. The name “dog star” comes from the ancient Egyptians who called Sirius, the Dog Star, after their god, Osiris. His head in pictograms resembles that of a...
How plants survive through the heat
What happens to a plant when the thermometer tops 100 degrees? Planning for more hot weather this summer is a requirement for a successful garden. Are there some plants that can survive tough times more easily?
Photosynthesis is one of the most remarkable biochemical processes...
Sutter must revisit its decision
When I first read that big changes were coming to Sutter Health, I initially thought that bigger and better things were in store for Scotts Valley. I shared in our community’s collective shock, however, when I discovered that PAMF was in fact ending its...
Everyone has a right to their opinion
In his letter published in the Press Banner on July 16, Mr. Gelblum expressed an opinion, taking me to task, that board members must always practice what he terms a “fiduciary responsibility” to form a unified front to the public. In essence, telling me...
Getting out of your comfort zone
Let’s get out of our comfort zone when training. Many of us associate training as a chore or we need motivation to workout. Many of us stay in our comfort zone because it’s where we feel safe. Living in our comfort zone helps us...
News Briefs | Published July 11, 2025
‘Veterans’ Voices with VTC’ debuts on Santa Cruz Voice
The Veterans Transition Center (VTC) and Santa Cruz Voice have partnered to launch “Veterans’ Voices with...