Community

San Lorenzo Valley residents, rejoice! Our taste buds have been invited to dance with two new restaurants: Aroma in Ben Lomond and The Grove in Felton. Read on to learn more about each. Aroma presents local flare Chef Mario Ibarra is a well-known and beloved part...

Mari Rossi, a Scotts Valley philanthropist, just offered the Santa Cruz Boys and Girls Club a challenge grant, to match up to 50,000 dollars for a new portable classroom outside of their clubhouse off Scotts Valley Drive.  On top of providing school lunches for needy children throughout Scotts Valley, Rossi has been working with the Boys and Girls Club for a couple of years.  Rossi exclaimed, “If kids are hungry, they can’t learn! You’d be surprised how many food insecure kids we have, even though we live in an affluent community.”  When asked about the motivation for her philanthropy, Rossi answers with her simple slogan, “Our kids, our future.”

In this season of joy, giving and community, the Boulder Creek Business Association (BCBA) embodies those elements as it collaborates with the Boulder Creek Recreation and Parks District (BCRPD) to present the 2023 Winter Festival. In years past, each agency would host its own events,...

Despite facing hurdles—such as venues not being willing to play host and controversy on social media—Cyn Khambatta, organizer of the Brookdale Big Queer Weekend, pulled off a pleasant and positive mini-festival in the San Lorenzo Valley last weekend. However, she said she chose to cancel...

When it comes to live parody musical theater, no other group brings it to life like Little People’s Repertory Theater (LPRT) in Ben Lomond. The Park Hall-based crew of kids and parent volunteers begin work the minute school adjourns for the summer, and spend...

Opening next week, experience the timeless tale of love as Cabrillo Stage brings the breathtaking musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” to life. Featuring the Disney-animated film’s Academy Award-nominated score, new songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and Peter Parnell’s book that pulls directly...

Each year, Ben Lomond’s Little People’s Repertory Theater (LPRT) for children 8-14 hosts its annual summer theater program, culminating in a public performance that’s part campy, part sci-fi, part Marvel-ous and 100% original. In 2020, LPRT Executive Director Jannine Chadwick held her breath as she...

Tucked on window sills and tabletops, my houseplants clean the air and provide indoor beauty while the landscape outdoors is mostly resting. They are easy to keep healthy if I follow a few tips during the dark days of winter. it’s their time to...

Hallie Greene knows what it takes to bring a community together. From her work as the district manager of the Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District to helping create the Santa Cruz Long Term Recovery Group (SCLTRG), Greene is looked upon as a leader...