Scotts Valley police chief mourns loss of ‘old school’ top-cop father
Just before Christmas, Scotts Valley lost one of the men who was critical to shaping the city into the place it is today. It wasn’t an explorer who claimed land for a foreign government, a native warrior who resisted colonial expansion, a founding Council...
News Briefs | Published Jan. 5, 2024
Art History lecture features discussion on Cerveteri
The first Art History lecture of 2024, sponsored by Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz, will feature “Cerveteri: Etruscan City of the Dead” on Sunday, Jan. 7, from 6:30-8:30pm, at the Cabrillo Aptos Campus, VAPA Forum, Room 1001.
Art...
Youth take the stage for Building Kidz’ production of ‘Frozen’
A couple days after Caden “Worm” Paul took in a performance of the “Nutcracker” at the Scotts Valley Cultural and Performing Arts Center, the boy was up on the same stage himself with his preschool classmates.
Winter Zalona was one of them; just two days...
Shirli McLaughlin’s final chapter: Friends remember community-building Ben Lomond shopkeeper
When I first stepped foot inside the Third Hand Store in Ben Lomond, a Canadian tasked with covering the quirky and community-oriented Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley region for a traditional print newspaper, I was hoping to find some threads to suit the...
Santa Cruz County supervisor candidates vie for 5th District seat
The year 2024 is going to be big when it comes to politics—not just on the national stage, but on the local level as well.
In Santa Cruz County District 5, which covers the San Lorenzo Valley (north past Castle Rock State Park to the...
Bank of America names Housing Matters as 2023 Neighborhood Champion
Bank of America announced Housing Matters as the 2023 Neighborhood Champion awardee for their work advancing economic mobility and building up underserved neighborhoods in Santa Cruz County.
Through a multi-year $50,000 grant and leadership training for its executive director and an emerging leader within its...
Scotts Valley junior golfer wins Florida golf tournament
Lucius Niesen is the kind of kid every parent would love to call their own. Smart, positive, well-mannered and with a smile that’s sure to melt plenty of hearts in the future, the Scotts Valley Middle School student carries a few things very well:...
Damians Ladder helps Valley seniors in need
San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley are chock-full of character and conveniences that most other towns would be lucky to have: breathtaking natural beauty, great schools, plenty of opportunities for shopping and dining, and cohesive, neighborly communities.
Residents work together, play together, celebrate holidays together...
Annual Light Up the Night brings holiday spirit to Scotts Valley
As afternoon turned to night in a glorious blaze of purple Saturday, families made their way past a fake snow machine into the Scotts Valley Community Center for the annual Light Up the Night festivities.
Inside were snickerdoodles and cider, young ballerinas, powerful singers, talented...
From Coma to Comedy: Bryan Stow’s Second Act
Bryan Stow is the face—and body—of courage, grit and determination. His skull is partially sunken, his scalp is criss-crossed with surgical scars and he walks with the aid of crutches, yet Stow (not so humbly) embodies the characteristics that people admire, his wicked sense...
Scotts Valley Council eases ADU rules, expands junior unit options
They didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter, but when it came down to updating their secondary residence policy, Scotts Valley City Council...