Community

While things begin to feel, perhaps, a little more claustrophobic at home, know that you can know participate with community members across the world in celebrating our essential workers!  The trend of evening clapping to thank workers began in Wuhan, China, and is quickly catching on throughout the globe from Paris, to New York City, Buenos Aires, Seville, Atlanta, and Amsterdam.  It’s even spread to our valleys!  If you have yet to join, I advise you to, like the spouse of Boulder Creek resident Nicki Petruzzella Kerns, set an alarm for 7:57 pm and amble outside after it goes off.  Ever since March 28th, our valleys have been filling with howls of appreciation at 8:00pm, for those continuing to work against the virus. 

Lavender, a member of the mint family, is found across Europe, the Mediterranean, north and eastern Africa, southwest Asia to southeast India and fits right into our similar environment. Everybody has their favorite type. Mine happens to be a compact English variety called Hidcote but there are hundreds available including a new, tough, variegated one called ‘Meerlo’. Here’s how to grow yours so it flourishes and doesn’t end up woody and spindly.

Hallie Greene knows what it takes to bring a community together. From her work as the district manager of the Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District to helping create the Santa Cruz Long Term Recovery Group (SCLTRG), Greene is looked upon as a leader...

A hidden glen on the northern fringe of Santa Cruz County, noted today only by a road sign on Laurel Curve off Highway 17, hides a tiny hamlet that once helped rebuild San Francisco in 1906.

This world is like nothing we’ve seen before and hopefully nothing we will ever see again.  No one has gone unscathed: loss, fear, anger, exhaustion, grief, loneliness, disbelief.  If you were teetering on the edge of mental and emotional stability, you may feel like everything is crumbling.  You may feel like you are crumbling. 

I feel sorry for them. They are the wallflowers of the nursery. Shoppers barely glance their way before moving on to attention-getters like dinner-plate dahlias.

Scotts Valley Host Lions