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I caught up with longtime valley resident John Swedlund, the San Lorenzo Valley High School shot-put record-holder and the co-owner of Scotts Valley Fitness Club.

For 104 years, the Beck family has been outfitting folks with footwear made to last. In 1919, Ole P. Beck launched the family business in downtown Salinas, and since then, the eponymous shoe store has been synonymous with quality brands and accessories. Boulder Creek is...

By Bruce McPherson, County Supervisor It’s an understandable instinct at the end of each calendar year to wrap up undone business and start the new year fresh. Unfortunately, 2020 will not afford us that opportunity as two big issues will carry over into 2021 and...

Scotts Valley creative soul and activist Karen Kaplan is making her latest splash with dual contributions in a new book titled “Expressions of the Valley.” Her colored pencil drawing “Exploring Glenwood”—that she drew with Caran D’Ache aquarelle watercolor pencils on parchment paper—was chosen as the...

Seems like 2020 lasted for longer than just one year. I, for one, am hoping for a less eventful year in 2021. As the calendar turns to a new year these are some of my thoughts for 2020. Well maybe they’re the same thoughts...

Thomas the Tank Engine had just finished carrying one of his last groups of passengers from Roaring Camp Railroads along the San Lorenzo River and back. Friday, July 29, was his first day of the first of two three-day weekends of full schedules of 30-minute rides for his fans.Then the Really Useful Engine got the call from CalFire dispatchers: They needed his help to bring an injured swimmer from the Garden of Eden swimming hole a couple miles down the track to an evacuation helicopter.CalFire would say later that the track – and Thomas – offered the fastest and most direct route for the rescue crew in the rugged mountain terrain.Thomas was up the task, taking the rescuers to the riverbank spot, then carrying them, with an injured 22-year-old woman, back to Roaring Camp. A rescue vehicle took her from there to a nearby helicopter landing area at Henry Cowell Park where Stanford Life Flight carried her to Stanford Medical Center for treatment of a head injury sustained in a fall at the popular swimming spot. She was not identified.Roaring Camp estimated that up to 30,000 people would visit Thomas and related activities on each of these special weekends. Felton has a population of about 4,000.The Thomas train is to return to Roaring Camp for two weekends in October.Hundreds of workers on these special weekends who are affiliated with local non-profits donate their wages to their organizations.They include Santa Cruz County Friday Night Live, Valley Elite Cheer, San Lorenzo Valley Rotary Club, Girl Scouts of California Central Coast, and Sunrise House. The groups raise from several hundred dollars to up to $6,000 each.

A local teacher-turned-author is making good on a promise to his former students in southern California. Chuck Ross and his wife Jenn relocated to Scotts Valley from Oxnard, Calif., last summer. Before leaving, Ross promised his then seventh graders that he would be back to...