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Scotts Valley
September 22, 2025

Why blue is so valued in the garden

While harvesting blueberries at a friends’ garden I started thinking of the color blue and why it appeals to all of us gardeners. I was taking care of this fabulous garden while the owners were out of town so I had a lot of time to enjoy all of the plants including the blue flowering ones.

CFOG: ‘slow down’ advocacy group in the making

Citizens for Orderly Growth in Scotts Valley (CFOG) is a recently organized, “educational and collaborative” advocacy group that has every intention of becoming a grassroots force to be reckoned with in the face of “uncontrolled growth” in Scotts Valley, according to its organizers .

Secretary of California’s Natural Resources Agency, visits Loch Lomond

Dealing with one of the worst droughts on record and then the largest, most destructive wildfires in California’s history, the Secretary of California’s Natural Resources Agency has his hands full. The Natural Resource Agency is a sprawling, cabinet-level state agency overseeing and coordinating 25 different departments, from Cal Fire to the Department of Water Resources with a lot to coordinate over the last several years. 

SLVHS alum stays positive after life-threatening accident, thanks to small town community

It’s a typical Friday for Chris Greenly, as he wakes up, gets ready and helps his girlfriend Sarah make breakfast at their home in Felton.

You can never grow too many tall bearded iris

 Last May I was fortunate to be able to spend the morning in Scotts Valley painting the tall bearded iris growing at Jim and Irene Cummins place. On their property they grow hundreds of varieties and if you are an aficionado of this regal flower you have a chance to add to your collection when the Monterey Bay Iris Society hosts their annual sale. Your first opportunity is at Deer Park in Aptos on August 4th from 9:00-noon and another sale takes place at Cabrillo Farmer’s Market on August 11th also from 9:00-noon.

SLVHS Varsity Football, preparing for upcoming season

It’s a beautiful, sunny Tuesday in July, but rather than spending the day at the beach, the San Lorenzo Valley Varsity Football players are lifting weights in the high school gym. It is all part of their training regime. The student athletes are preparing to improve on their 5-5 finish from last season. And while the players have been working hard all summer, the preparation for a successful season goes beyond the weight room. 

County offers limited amnesty for unpermitted dwellings, if certified as safe

The County Planning Department knows there are hundreds of unpermitted dwellings throughout the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County, especially up and down the San Lorenzo Valley. Aimed at insuring a basic level of health and fire safety in these living spaces, the county has rolled out a new “Limited Immunity Amnesty Program,” called the Safe Structures Program, to improve the safety of both residents and neighbors of these “not-entirely-legal” residential spaces, while trying to avoid the dreaded “Red Tag” that puts people out of much needed affordable housing.

Rent caps for Section 8 program successfully challenged

It would seem the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would be the last agency that needs convincing rents have risen sharply in Santa Cruz County. Yet that is what the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz needed to do- prove the HUD-imposed rent caps for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program were simply  too low for the program to be successful.

Home prices ‘inflated’ by tech giants

High-paying Silicon Valley employers like Google and Apple helped drive home prices up 16.9 percent in commuter-friendly Scotts Valley over the last 12 months, but new local and federal laws may cool that red-hot pace.

Lavender- Everything you Ever Wanted to Know

Lavender, a member of the mint family, is found across Europe, the Mediterranean, north and eastern Africa, southwest Asia to southeast India and fits right into our similar environment. Everybody has their favorite type. Mine happens to be a compact English variety called Hidcote but there are hundreds available including a new, tough, variegated one called ‘Meerlo’. Here’s how to grow yours so it flourishes and doesn’t end up woody and spindly.

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Felton Fire Protection District

Felton Fire District faces concerns over parcel tax proposal

Felton Fire Protection District (FFPD) has been in the news of late due to the calamitous nature of its board and leadership, and the...