Community

For many families in the San Lorenzo Valley, the first week of school brought significant changes in home settings as well as classrooms. For more than 200 students in the SLV Unified School District, many school hours are spent at home or in neighbors’ homes working independently and with parents.

You have heard about rock superstars and tech giants beginning in garages. Donald and Sue Cramb have their own sudsy version of the legend: beginning their microbrewery in their garage in Boulder Creek.

In a grove of redwood and big leaf maples along Love Creek Road, there is a heart-wrenching memorial sign posted more than 34 years ago by a grandmother in remembrance of her two young grandsons.

What do you get when you combine a world renowned pottery artist with a reformed corn grower? On California Street in Ben Lomond, the result is the Brook Lomond Iris Farm of Rick and Chris Moran. This fun, educational, inspiring couple recently invited me to admire this year’s crop of tall bearded iris grown with certified organic gardening practices as well as to share their organic vegetable garden, cactus and succulent collection and Chris’ unique pottery.

Sunny skies and cool mountain temperatures on April 23 provided a perfect day for the 14th annual Mountain Charlie Challenge, a fundraising bicycle ride and community event offering both fun and fitness challenges for all ages.

In the eight years that Richard and Nancy Liu have owned and operated the Foster’s Freeze fast-food restaurant on Highway 9 in Boulder Creek, they have become widely known for their grace, kindness and generosity.