Gardener: A meadow in the making
Have you thought about creating a meadow but don't know where to start? Need some inspiration to get going? Take a hike through the breathtaking meadows in Lassen Volcanic National Park like I did recently, and you'll get all the ideas you need to create the meadow of your dreams in your own backyard.
Let’s go fishin’: Salmon move to rivers
Salmon fishing has remained strong, and as more fish move into the rivers, the local fishing focus is in transition.
Wine lover: Why wine and cheese?
I was recently asked the question, “If you had to give up wine or cheese, which would you choose?” My immediate answer was cheese, of course. Then I started thinking about all the wonderful foods that contain cheese — little pizzas and quesadillas began to circle around my head. Then I realized that I would never be able to enjoy wine and cheese together! Why do wine and cheese seem to go hand in hand, anyway?
New faces
Twins Amber Lee and Mia Angela Boole were born to Shirley Julissa and Barry Richard Boole of Boulder Creek on Aug. 21, 2011, at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. Amber weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and Mia weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces when they were born at 5:25 and 5:26 p.m., respectively.
Valley Neighbors: A Czech family’s daring escape
Eva Pacak of Scotts Valley grew up at a time when Czechoslovakia became a Soviet satellite country. Communism, the only powerful political system in the Soviet Bloc, was forced on the people. As a child, she was unaware of the injustices taking place.
It’s the law: Struggles for legal tender
In his classic, “The Pretender,” Jackson Browne lamented, “I’m going to be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender.” As Browne keenly observed, money (and life) creates angst. It is also the major factor that leads to civil lawsuits. When asked to explain what a civil attorney does, I say that it usually boils down to either arguments about money or arguments about what to do with money.
Your Health: Influenza season on horizon
It’s that time of year again to start making preparations for the flu season, which can begin as early as October and last as late as May.
Talk about money: Savings accounts don’t necessarily pay off
Once upon a time, honest, hardworking Americans who didn’t want to gamble with their money could put it in savings or money market accounts and collect a decent amount of interest. When they retired, the interest helped them pay their bills.
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...













