Mountain Gardener: Attract butterflies to your garden
Have you noticed how many butterflies are visiting your garden lately? I see California sisters, common buckeyes and western tiger swallowtails everywhere I look.
Wine Lover: Exploring the Santa Cruz Region: Soquel Foothills District
There are a variety of ways to lump wineries into districts. Proximity, terroir (growing conditions) and varietals are some of the factors, perhaps even the most important, that go into the districting process. Over the next several weeks, I will define how I think Santa Cruz County’s districts should be defined.
It’s the Law: Law discourages Good Samaritans
I was riding one evening with four buddies just out of high school when the car went “bump” in the night. We all yelled, “What was that?” Jake, the driver, screamed, “It was a body.”
Talk about Money: News flash: George Hamilton helps pay for new health care legislation
Back on March 23, President Obama signed the much-debated law that mandates universal health insurance coverage. Aspects of the new law continue to emerge, but what we know is that while the 10 percent tax on tanning salons might take a significant bite out of the ever-bronzed George Hamilton’s wallet (ditto for our friends at Scotts Valley’s Tanners Cove), it doesn’t exactly cover all the new costs of this bill. A slew of tax modifications and penalties will follow.
The Mountain Gardener: Cool your garden with a tropical makeover
Summer weather is finally here, and I find myself thinking of ways to stay cool. We know there is a cooling effect under the canopy of our forest trees. Extremes in air and soil temperatures are lessened. But any combination of perennials, shrubs and trees will help keep your garden cool, while also providing habitat for wildlife, decreasing energy use, absorbing carbon dioxide and supplying fresh oxygen.
Your Health: A little sun protection goes a long way
Summer is here, and many of us are exposed to an abundance of sunshine. I’d like to explain how we can best avoid the harmful effects of the sun.
Let’s go fishin’: Young salmon released in Santa Cruz
Sixty-five thousand salmon in Santa Cruz Harbor?
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...















