We’re all dying to know what will replace the Kmart in Scotts Valley Square Shopping Center off Mount Hermon Road.  While the popular theory, “Target is going in,” would make for a much shorter article, the issue of replacing that business is much more complicated.  So complex, in fact, that the City Council of Scotts Valley has offered a hand.  Derek Timm, the Vice-Mayor of Scotts Valley, a licensed attorney, and owner of a brokered real estate company, was selected by his fellow Council members to help facilitate the process and was eager to dispel some runaway rumors. 

Earth Day celebrates the natural beauty of our planet and reminds us that we need to keep it healthy. Always on April 22nd, Earth Day is a day of education about environmental issues. This year is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and while we’ll not be gathering together you can plant a tree, clean up litter, garden, hike in the woods, marvel at emerging wildflowers, be in contact with the soil and breathe fresh air outside on this day.  Celebrate Earth Day in your own backyard by being outside. It’s your own personal outdoor living room - a safe place for pets and kids to play. Just get outside, maybe trim some shrubs, plant something for the birds and pollinators. When you become a steward of your own yard, you are helping to preserve you own corner of the ecosystem. Our connection to the earth is one of the most valuable lessons we can share with our children.In a garden, children can breathe fresh air, discover bugs and watch things grow. And, of course, a garden offers kids and everyone else fresh, tasty homegrown food. What better place for kids to play than in a place where they can use their hands and connect with the earth? Where else can they make a plan for a plot of land and learn the lessons of hope and wonder, suspense and patience and even success and failure? In a garden you can have conversations about life and even death in a way that doesn't seem so sad.  Finding things to do in the garden is easy. You probably already have some edible flowers in your garden. Tuberous begonia petals taste like lemon. Calendulas are spicy as are carnations and marigolds. Dianthus are clove-flavored, nasturtiums give a hint of horseradish and violas, pansies, hollyhock, squash blossoms and johnny-jump-ups taste like mild lettuce. You can also freeze flowers like violas, fuchsias, geranium, stock and thyme in ice cubes.  Flowers that kids can cut will be interesting for them, too, especially when planted in their own garden. Cosmos, planted from six packs, provide instant color as well as attracting butterflies. Zinnias come in a rainbow of colors and are a favorite of swallowtail butterflies. Another easy to grow flower for cutting is the snapdragon.Besides flowers, fragrant foliage plants like lemon basil, lemon verbena, lime thyme, orange mint and other herbs engage the senses and can be included in a kid's garden. Pet-able plants are a sure hit with kids. Usually we tell them, "Don't touch", so to actually have someone encourage this is a rare treat. If your own garden doesn't have plants that look and feel so soft that you can't resist petting them, consider adding lamb’s ears which are soft and furry, artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ or fountain grass. All kids love lady bugs. Make your garden a more inviting place for these and other beneficial insects by planting lots of flowers and herbs to attract them. Lady bugs will patrol your plants looking for tiny insects and their eggs.Flowers with umbrella shaped clusters of small flowers such as cosmos, zinnia, black-eyed Susan and yarrow are favorites of butterflies. Kid friendly gardens should not contain plants that are poisonous. Sounds like a no brainer but even some of our common natives like the berries of snowberry and the leaves of Western azalea are poisonous. Non-toxic plants include abelia, abutilon, liriope, butterfly bush, Hens and Chicks, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis and black-eyed Susan. Better to check the poison control website if in doubt.  http://www.calpoison.org  and search "plants". To share one’s excitement and knowledge of the outdoor world with a child is fun and rewarding. The wonder on a young person’s face as they discover a swallowtail butterfly, a flower just starting to open or a bird feeding in the garden is priceless. And be sure to leave some time after a busy day out in the garden for kids to draw what they’ve enjoyed outside.  Get a kid into gardening and nature and they'll be good stewards of the land for a lifetime. Plus you’ll have a lot of fun in the process.  

While things begin to feel, perhaps, a little more claustrophobic at home, know that you can know participate with community members across the world in celebrating our essential workers!  The trend of evening clapping to thank workers began in Wuhan, China, and is quickly catching on throughout the globe from Paris, to New York City, Buenos Aires, Seville, Atlanta, and Amsterdam.  It’s even spread to our valleys!  If you have yet to join, I advise you to, like the spouse of Boulder Creek resident Nicki Petruzzella Kerns, set an alarm for 7:57 pm and amble outside after it goes off.  Ever since March 28th, our valleys have been filling with howls of appreciation at 8:00pm, for those continuing to work against the virus. 

While San Lorenzo Valley Water District has been doing a great job keeping our water safe and available (check out Christina Wise’s article from last week for more information!), the water board has some big decisions to make soon.  In order to bridge the gap between the board and the community, a new group, the SLVWD Friends, was formally created this past November to help facilitate collaboration between the two groups.  I spoke with Jim Mosher, a retired attorney and member of Friends, about their upcoming goals for the district. 

This month, while much of Scotts Valley High School’s class of 2020 commits to two- or four-year colleges, it’s a good time to consider how much the admissions process has changed in the past few years.

The Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) today announced the district is staying on top of all COVID-19 related updates and ensuring the safety of tap water is its top priority.