57.9 F
Scotts Valley
September 4, 2026

The Mountain Gardener: Keep deer away this spring

There's something about babies. You know that feeling, when you see a new infant and can't help but gush, "How cute and tiny!" It's universal to be drawn to new life. That applies to other babies in the animal kingdom, too. Last Tuesday morning, I was delighted when I saw two tiny fawns in my driveway with their mother.

Nature Friendly: Walking where Indians walked

When I drive to the top of Bear Creek Road, looking down to Loch Lomond Reservoir and across the bay to the Ventana Wilderness, I imagine what our land would have looked like before the European invasion. What grew here? Ate here? Roamed here? What mark would American Indians have made?

New Faces

Noah Calvin Soule was born at 8:31 a.m. April 26, 2011, to Shannon Noelle Nerli and Jeffrey Calvin Soule of Ben Lomond. He was delivered at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz, weighing 9 pounds, 11 ounces.

Datebook

Saturday, May 28

Pellett, Lilley to wed

A Nov. 11, 2011, wedding in Santa Cruz is being planned for Jason William Pellett and Chelsie Lynne Lilley, both of Scotts Valley.

Let’s Go Fishin’: Striped bass show for anglers

Striped bass may be a non-native species in California, but they have a stronghold and their numbers this year appear robust. Striped bass are being caught from Monterey Bay to the rivers of the Central Valley.

The Mountain Gardener: Can an almanac predict the weather?

The other day, I was leafing through the Harris' Farmer's Almanac 2011 Gardening Guide looking for gardening tips and checking out the regional weather forecasts for the year. This classic booklet has been published "for use of farmers, planters, mechanics and all families" since 1818 and contains "weather forecasts, planting tables, and a variety of matter useful and entertaining." If you haven't read one lately, I can tell you it lives up to its promise. Here is just a sampling.

Wine Lover: Summertime is time for rosé wine

Summer is fast approaching, and its time to stock up on your rosé.

It’s The Law: Frivolous lawsuits, continued

Last month, I wrote about the problems witnesses pose, for both lawyers and clients. I spoke of the construction manager at Scotts Valley High School whose false testimony forced my client to sue the school district to get paid. In response, a letter writer suggested that my client should not have pursued the debt owed to him, apparently for the sole reason that the debtor was a school. This seems a dicey way for schools to balance their budgets — to refuse to pay their debts. I am curious what our letter writer thinks will happen when the district stops paying Pacific Gas and Electric Co. or fails to issue paychecks to its teachers.

New Faces

David Gabriel Padilla was born at 2:12 p.m. April 25, 2011, to Laura Angelica Castillo and Jose Alfredo Padilla of Scotts Valley. He weighed 8 pounds at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.

SOCIAL MEDIA

2,592FansLike
722FollowersFollow
762FollowersFollow
News Briefs

News Briefs | Published Aug. 28, 2026

North County Dems host endorsement forum The Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County will hold an endorsement forum for local candidates and ballot measures...