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Scotts Valley
March 29, 2024

A year of firsts: A mysterious intruder lurks

After two months living in a cabin above Scotts Valley, I’ve met dozens of friendly locals, including deer, rabbits, hawks, raccoons and, just the other day, a bobcat that raced down the driveway in front of my car.

Off hours: All is Fair

If you weren’t already hip to it, this is indeed late notice. But whatever your plan for the weekend is, if it doesn’t include a trip to the Santa Cruz County Fair — change it!

Wine lover: A great time to start making wine

With harvest time quickly approaching, the wine-making industry is abuzz with anticipation for the 2009 harvest.

Let’s go fishin’: Loch Lomond extends season

If you missed your opportunity to visit Loch Lomond Reservoir this year, it’s not too late. The season will be extended at the lake, and its recreational area will remain open to public through Oct. 11.

Nature Friendly: Journey to the Forbidden Sandhills

If you have seen strange lights coming from the Quail Hollow sandhills at night and wondered if those were UFOs or American Indian camps, it was probably just Dr. Jodi McGraw. Jodi is the diva of the Forbidden Sandhills — “forbidden” because only scientists are allowed in this fragile ecosystem.

Mountain Gardener: A peek into local gardening’s past

Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part series on historical gardening.

The straight dope: The jury is in

The recent Santa Cruz County grand jury report, “Alcohol, a Drug of Choice for Scotts Valley Teens,” provides the proverbial good news-bad news picture. Well, perhaps OK news and bad news is a better summary.

The good with the bad: Lawyers help pursue justice

In my most recent column, I covered some of the reasons people hate lawyers. This month, I promised to find reasons why lawyers aren’t utterly useless. If you ask a lawyer, most will say that they are vital to achieving justice and preserving freedom for the weak and oppressed.

Mountain Gardener saves plants, one garden at a time

Time flies when you’re having a good time, and that’s exactly how I feel writing my 200th column for the Press-Banner.

Off Hours: Radio reunion brings back airtime nostalgia

The college radio station where I worked 30 years ago is celebrating a half-century of broadcasting by inviting many of the former deejays back for on-the-air guest slots. I was honored to do a turn last week.

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The Encore

Team behind ‘The Encore’ reflects on successful build

As Chris Somple, from DeLaveaga Properties, stood beside the island with the high-end platter featuring prosciutto and cheese balls during the open house for...