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Scotts Valley
October 24, 2026

The Mountain Gardener: Grow grass like the 49ers do

I attended the first San Francisco 49er home game of the season thanks to my Aunt Rosemary. I'm a Niner faithful, but it sure is fun to be on the winning side after so many years. At the football stadium, everything seems bright and colorful. I'm always amazed at how lush and green the field looks. How do they do that?

New Faces

- Serenity Grace Passmore was born to Walter and Sunny Passmore of Brookdale at 5:22 a.m. Aug. 29, 2012. She weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces at birth at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara.

Datebook

- Submit Datebook items to pbeditor@pressbanner.com or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

Healthy Living: Fitness or nutrition questions? Ask Julia

While I work with clients, questions often come up — some repeatedly.

The Mountain Gardener: Children, start your veggies

The other day, a young girl asked me, "Are you the lady that writes the flower column in the paper?” I was thrilled to know that my readership includes middle schoolers. Our conversation soon turned to vegetables, which are good to plant at this time of year because of how late they can be started. Gardening can be a wonderful learning opportunity for all of us, but especially for children.

Let’s go fishin’: Salmon return to the Harbor

King salmon have started to return to the Santa Cruz Harbor, and anglers are already catching some from the jetties and surrounding waters. This is great news, as the major return of salmon is still one year away, when the catch will be a year older than the two-year-olds we’re seeing today. As the salmon continue to arrive, it is important to fish only from legally designated areas of the harbor while also adhering to fishing regulations.

Nature Friendly: River Queen; The Sycamore

“I’ve been groomed to do this, like it’s my right livelihood. I see the big picture of connecting people to the land, both culturally and naturally,” said Daniel Williford, state interpreter for Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, as we rambled alongside the San Lorenzo River.

Your Health: Affordable Care Act II

In a previous column, I explained the various components of the Affordable Health Care Act. Now, I would like to give my perspective on this politically controversial plan.

Datebook

- Submit Datebook items to pbeditor@pressbanner.com or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

New Faces

- Alexandra Funk was born at 4:03 p.m. Sept. 2, 2012 to Amber Lee Imberi and David Hamilton Funk of Santa Cruz. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center.

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Scotts Valley Council Candidates

Three candidates vie for two Scotts Valley council seats

Mike Zeller, the director of programming and project delivery for the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, is the relative newcomer on the Scotts Valley...