Beginning promptly at 7:40 a.m. on Friday, retired Police Lieutenant John Hohmann begins his criminal justice class with a “behind the scenes” tour of the Scotts Valley Police Station. As part of the regional occupation program, 32 students from Scotts Valley High School are offered an opportunity to learn about the criminal justice system with hands on experience.

Rarely does a person give back so much to the neighborhood she settled in as Vicki Wees. Wees, now 64-years-old, first moved into a rented house in the Felton Grove neighborhood in 1979, when she was 25. Except for a few years here and there, Wees has lived in Felton Grove ever since. About 10 years ago, as something of a hobby, Wees began collecting historic photographs, documents and maps of the Felton Grove neighborhood.

The greatest defeat in life is to miss riding on a train.  One day we will have to quit this life filled with music, laughter, leaves turning golden in the fall, the touch of a loved one’s hand.  Never having had the joy of riding on a train falls somewhere in between.

The chill is in the air. At least as I write this. Next week ti could return to summer-like weather but for now I’m thinking of what plants I want to add to my garden this fall planting season. California native plants are well suited to planting at this time of year and acclimating to their new homes without much stress. Here are some ideas to get you started.

It was an especially fragrant bouquet of roses on my dining table this week that got me thinking about what an incredible thing our sense of smell is. It’s the only sense that has a direct connection to our brains. We can detect at least a trillion distinct scents. Our scent cells are renewed every 30 to 60 days. Some of the most pleasurable scents, according to recent research, include vanilla, some orange scents, cinnamon, crayons and cookies. I don’t have any crayon or cookie scented flowers but wouldn’t that be a great addition in the garden?

All plants need water- even those that are tolerant of our summer dry conditions. Water makes up 90-98 percent of every plant we grow. It's needed for photosynthesis, as well as reproduction and defense against pests.

They’re called the Dog Days of summer. You know those sultry days with the hottest summer temperatures. The Romans associated the hot weather between July 24th and August 24th with the star Sirius which they considered to be the “Dog Star” because it’s the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses slightly different dates but the Dog Days of summer are definitely here.

While harvesting blueberries at a friends’ garden I started thinking of the color blue and why it appeals to all of us gardeners. I was taking care of this fabulous garden while the owners were out of town so I had a lot of time to enjoy all of the plants including the blue flowering ones.

Citizens for Orderly Growth in Scotts Valley (CFOG) is a recently organized, “educational and collaborative” advocacy group that has every intention of becoming a grassroots force to be reckoned with in the face of “uncontrolled growth” in Scotts Valley, according to its organizers .