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Scotts Valley
September 13, 2025

The Mountain Gardener: All in the fall

Warm days, rainy days, short days, cold days — they’re all in the fall here in the Santa Cruz mountains.

The Mountain Gardener: Keep pesky invasive plants from taking hold

We can't control those pesky weed seeds that blow into our gardens and take hold. There are ways to keep them from taking over, however. But what about those invasive plants that are already in our gardens like ivy and vinca major? What's the best way to deal with them? Then there are plants we buy ourselves that can invade natural areas. Are there better plants to use that are just as attractive and useful? Here are some solutions to make your garden happy.

Datebook

- Submit Datebook items to [email protected] or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

Commentary: SLV paying price for Santa Cruz’s lax homeless policies

The cool fall air and drizzly damp mornings have finally arrived — chilly mornings that signal the end of the craziest, most stressful summer since the great Lockheed fires of 2009. This summer felt like being transported back to 1960’s Viet Nam, with tactical scout planes controlling firefighters and police on the ground, and helicopters and Boride bombers in the air. Millions of dollars went up in smoke fighting scores of suspicious fires in the Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Felton and Ben Lomond areas.

Damians Ladder turns flute gift into musical opportunity for local students

Wolfgang Mozart wrote an opera, “The Magic Flute,” and the story is the typical one about a “handsome prince” who was saved by the music of the Magic Flute. Damians Ladder’s story is about a beautiful silver flute, donated to us by Holly Christiansen and...

Mountain Community Theater’s ‘Curious Incident of the Dog’ play explores life’s complexities

Mountain Community Theater presents “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” a play by Simon Stephens—based on the novel by Mark Haddon—from May 16 to June 8 at Ben Lomond’s historic Park Hall, 9400 Mill St. This show, directed by Simon Hayward, is...

Mountain Gardener: Mind your weather this autumn

Mother Nature sure knows how to throw a curveball. She can dish out balmy, 75-degree weather one day, then switch it up to 107 in a heartbeat. Cold and windy steps to the mound next, followed by “What’s next?” from the pitch hitter.

Sustainable living: Routine power failure or winds of change?

Heavy winds are nothing new for Californians, although damaging gusts usually come in the summer. The early December windstorm that rattled the state — much worse in southern California, but quite disruptive in our neck of the woods, too — was somewhat of an anomaly.

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News Briefs

News Briefs | Published Sept. 12, 2025

Fun run, emergency preparedness fair set for Saturday On Saturday, Sept. 13, the City of Santa Cruz will be hosting Race the Wave, a 3K...