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The house sits empty now. Its lace curtains are still in the windows and the grass is being mowed by a man I don’t recognize. The sign on the truck’s door reads “Lopes Hauling and Gar…” the rest is worn off, the numbers no longer legible.

Shawn Smith of Santa Cruz has carried shrapnel in his brain since April 13, 2004 when he led his squadron of Marines in the battle of Fallujah. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sgt. Smith and his men located and retrieved classified material and coalition weapons from a U.S. helicopter that had been shot down in Fallujah, Iraq.

It is time to get the gas burners and large pots out for boiling crabs! I am so excited for crab season. I have come to enjoy the change of seasons and how they affect my menu at home.

Orin Martin of the Alan Chadwick Garden on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus is widely admired for his incredible knowledge and skills as a master orchardist, horticulturalist and teacher. I was lucky when, a couple of years ago, he visited a group of fellow designers and brought his favorite russet apples. Another time, he brought a dozen different kinds of potatoes that we roasted, critiqued and thoroughly enjoyed.

I've always been fascinated by child prodigies. And 16-year-old Joshua Moncino, of Scotts Valley, is no exception. Last May he did something that many musicians probably dream about, but few actually do: he played at Carnegie Hall.

Carving a pumpkin is a traditional Halloween decoration. However, once hollowed-out and cut into, every pumpkin begins to rot and mold, shortening the life-span of these wonderful fall decorations. Keep the pumpkins and gourds you don’t cut until its time to dust off the Christmas lights and put up a tree with these simple, yet delightful methods of decorating for fall.