Recently, it was time to smog-test my 2002 Hyundai — a perfectly reliable, hardworking, economic little commuter with, sadly, more than 175,000 miles on it. It’s had no problems, ever, but recently, the “check engine” light went on.

It's no secret we live in paradise here in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Fans of the comedians Monty Python may recall the final, grotesque scene of "The Meaning of Life," in which a morbidly obese man gorges himself on a multicourse meal at a fancy restaurant, encouraged by an obsequious waiter played by John Cleese, only to explode after eating a tiny mint after his meal. What happens next isn't pretty.

Scotts Valley Host Lions Club

When the Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico exploded in April, 11 people died and the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history began.

EDITOR,

EDITOR,