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Santa Cruz Downtown Toastmasters is celebrating a series of exciting achievements following the recent Toastmasters Division A Speech Contests—alongside a major club milestone: 70 years of helping local residents become confident speakers and leaders. Marq Lipton, of Aptos, earned first place in the International Speech...

During a midday ceremony last Friday at the Summit Store’s parking lot, in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, community members joined with telecom and government officials to celebrate the completion of the first phase of Surfnet Communications’ rural internet expansion. Mark Morgenthaler, Surfnet’s...

Whether it’s listening to Raffi in the car, playing the theme to “Titanic” on the recorder or jamming with other musicians in the garage, the impact of music on the human brain is unquestionably significant. Early childhood education researchers have long touted the positive results...

Scotts Valley High School’s (SVHS) theater troupe is at it again, bringing their spring musical, “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” to life. The cast of thespians and vocalists are excited to bring their talents to the stage beginning Friday, April 18, and are equally excited for...

Think back 25 years ago to 2000: the first camera phone debuted (the J-SH04, with a ferocious 0.1-megapixel resolution); the clothing brand Hollister was introduced; the fourth book in the “Harry Potter” series, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” was released, and Scotts...

The season of spring is a time of renewal. From blooming bulbs to animals awaking from hibernation, the onset of warmer weather and longer days is a welcome change from the dark depths of winter. In Boulder Creek, the local business association has a new...

The Ben Lomond Village Alliance (BLVA) is now accepting new vendor applications for the highly-anticipated Wee Kirk Market—an old-fashioned, fun-filled farmers and makers market debuting this summer on June 1. Held at the historic Wee Kirk Church in the heart of Ben Lomond, this charming...

Santa Cruz County is an artist’s haven. From stunning natural landscapes and Open Studios to museums and galleries, local artists have access to some of the most progressive and collaborative venues in the country, and their work is celebrated in a variety of ways. One...

After months of public petitions, contentious meetings and letters to the editor, the planned installation of a pump track at Felton Covered Bridge Park is officially underway. On March 4, local nonprofit Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) began fundraising efforts to support pump track...

If you have a student within the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District (SLVUSD), you may have seen Deputy April Skalland around campus. As a School Resource Officer (SRO) for SLVUSD, Skalland is a familiar face to students, staff and parents alike. Whether helping direct...