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Scotts Valley
September 14, 2025

The Mountain Gardener: “Plant Combinations that Inspire”

Outside my window a Townsend warbler feasts on suet. It’s a rainy day and my obsession with low water use plants is momentarily taking a break. Each day the soft colors of my fall garden are becoming brighter and more vivid. Backlit leaves take on a whole new look. There are so many ways of combining plants in the garden. I’m taking notes so I remember my favorites to include in my own garden and future designs. Fall is a good time for planting or planning.

Datebook

Submit Datebook items to [email protected] or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 11:00 a.m. Thursday. Entries are subject to editing. Publication is not guaranteed. Please send your information in the format shown below.

The Mountain Gardener: “Edible Plants for Birds, Bees and People”

 With every rain forecast I hope for enough precipitation to give my garden a good soak. Last Monday I was not disappointed. I heard the pitter-patter of rain on leaves and jumped up in the morning to check the rain gauge. To my delight the last storm dropped 1.67 inches of the wet stuff on my garden in Bonny Doon. The prior three October showers had barely totaled a tenth of an inch. Last year, the hills and meadows were already greening up with three inches of the wet stuff. After this much needed precipitation, the deer are happy, the forest is happy, our gardens are happy, everybody is happy.

House and Home

Guy C. Earl’s resolve to spend more time with his young family was severely tested by his older brother. One of the first to recognize the potential of shipping California fruit East by train, Edwin T. Earl became a big player in the produce industry when he secured a patent on an improved refrigerator car.

New Faces (October 30, 2015)

Maddison Taylor, an 8-pound 5-ounce girl, was born to Jessika Renee Bright  and Taylor Robert Wright of Santa Cruz at Sutter Maternity and SurgeryCenter in Santa Cruz. She was born on October 8, 2015 at 2:24 a.m.

New library materials provide stuttering support

With the passing of International Stuttering Awareness Day on October 22, it may be prudent to note that the Santa Cruz Public Library has acquired new materials that support those with the speech impediment.

Training new environmental scientists to save the world

Barely escaping the threat of Hurricane Patricia in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Mark Andrews had quite a story to tell his Ecological Science class. His goal is to teach his students about the natural world and how it works. That is science.

Club Roundup

n Meetings are open to guests and clubs welcome new members. Contributors to this column are the club members.

Mountain Community Theater Company, a solid team

Just completing the three act comedy, “The Secret Affair of Mildred Wild,” the Mountain Community Theater will be gearing up for their next play. The “Last Noel” runs from November 20 to December 13 and will be directed by Robin Aronson.

Shigella Food Poisoning

There's been much in the news recently about the shigella food poisoning which was most likely transmitted by an infected employee at a Mexican restaurant in San Jose. As of this writing, there are over 180 reported cases in six surrounding counties, including three cases here in Santa Cruz.

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News Briefs

News Briefs | Published Sept. 12, 2025

Fun run, emergency preparedness fair set for Saturday On Saturday, Sept. 13, the City of Santa Cruz will be hosting Race the Wave, a 3K...