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Butterflies are magical creatures. They captivate us with their beauty and freedom of flight. Often I’m asked when designing a garden to include plants that will attract them and design areas to provide habitat. Recently there was a hatch of orange Militta Crescent butterflies in our area. I’ve seen hundreds of them up here in Bonny Doon alone. What can I do to increase the chances of them sticking around ?

Claire English, now a 4th grader at BrookKnollElementary School in ScottsValley, was born a healthy baby that loved to laugh and play. However, after her first birthday, she was not able to pull herself up to stand. When she was two years old, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Rett Syndrome.

An industrial site in Scotts Valley long known for its less-than-stellar environmental past is getting a little greener as local entrepreneur Ken Keegan’s e-waste collection and recycling business picks up steam.

In middle school softball action, host San Lorenzo Valley Middle School shortstop Siobhan Galleguillos waits for the throw as Scotts Valley runner Meredith Barton steps on second base. Scotts Valley won the league game, 8-1.

The San Lorenzo Valley Cougars varsity boys water polo team cruised to a 15-2 victory over the visiting Christopher High Cougars to conclude the first half of the Monterey Bay League Pacific Division schedule on September 25.

Last year I was introduced to the world of bonsai. Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai president Ron Anderson gave me a private tour of his personal bonsai collection at his home in Boulder Creek. Shortly afterwards, I attended the club's yearly show held then in Scotts Valley. I arrived a bit late and the afternoon demonstration had already started. The sensei, meaning teacher, was in the process of turning a large 5-gallon overgrown juniper into a finished bonsai. The wiring had been done initiating the training of the branches to form a more pleasing shape and the root pruning was about to begin. All of us in the audience were mesmerized by the seemingly brutal treatment of the plant, but the results spoke for themselves. A beautiful, graceful juniper specimen displayed in a large, brown tray did all the talking.