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Scotts Valley
November 15, 2026

New Faces

Holden Turner Spielvogel, son of Andrea Marley and Jonathan Robert Spielvogel of Scotts Valley, was born at 7 a.m. Nov. 11, 2012. He weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces when he arrived at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.

Financial Therapy: On the couch with your planner!

“Seek First to Understand; then to be understood.”—St. Francis of Assisi

A Day in the ER With Dignity Health

Janet Janssen
The phone rang, and my doctor’s assistant was on the other end. “Janet, our office is not equipped to help you; you must go to the ER (emergency room) today.” I was almost out the door heading to a 1:1 meeting over the hill before the...

Ukrainian family, reunited, spends first Christmas together in Scotts Valley

Last Christmas, the Ziniak family left their home in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, and headed on a fun trip across the Carpathian Mountains. When the Russian invasion of their country began in February, Vasyl stayed behind while his wife fled to Poland—and then to the San Lorenzo...

Scotts Valley gets first look at environmental impact of Town Center project

City Manager Mali LaGoe
Not since the early-’90s has Scotts Valley been buoyed by so much potential for change, while facing so much risk to the surrounding environment due to expected development. The plans to remake downtown suggest sleek, new buildings reminiscent of upper-middle-class areas of Cupertino, or the...

Tiny Homes Can Be A Part Of Our Solution

bruce mcpherson
As we head toward spring, I’m excited about a new affordable and environmentally friendly housing initiative that could address development challenges in the Fifth District, especially for CZU Fire survivors in search of alternatives to costly or complicated rebuilds. The County’s Planning Commission recently indicated...

The Mountain Gardener: ‘Mr. Mulch’ on a water-saving crusade

Several years ago I was invited to tour a beautiful garden in the hills above Scott Valley High School. Robby Frank was more than eager to share his techniques for gardening in deer country. He was also in a personal battle with gophers and moles and I affectionately bestowed upon him the title, serial mole killer. I am happy to report that Robby has won the war on all fronts. His garden is more lush than ever, and with that comes the ongoing dilemma of saving water in the landscape especially in this time of drought. He solved the problem by installing a Smart Irrigation Controller and has been so pleased with the results he's on a Smart Irrigation crusade to educate fellow gardeners. Here's his story.

Nature Friendly: A walking and writing retreat in the park

"A thousand times a day, nature--in the most ordinary of places--has something to tell or show us; something it wants us to touch, smell, or feel; something it wants all of us, not just the overtly artistic, to express."

Valley People: The passion to help

I met Dr. Bill Morris several years ago at a neighborhood gathering. He briefly shared about his work as a palliative care doctor-an area of medicine I knew nothing about. However, it wasn't until my mom was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and eventually sent home to die, that I became interested in learning more about end of life care. As a result of this experience, I decided to interview Dr. Morris. He begins his story:

Plain Talk About Food: The truth about lard…leaf lard and tamales

Lard can be a touchy subject for many cooks who have or have not cooked with lard over the past 50 years, especially if you have not brought yourself up to speed with the new way pigs today are being raised on sustainable farms — such as Flying Pigs Farm in upstate New York.

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Downtown Boulder Creek

Boulder Creek gains federal Opportunity Zone status

Boulder Creek has received a federal Opportunity Zone designation, opening new opportunities to attract private investment, support local businesses and strengthen the community’s long-term...