Blog - San Lorenzo Valley Post

Felton Fire Tax Assessment understanding Proposition 217

Felton Fire’s benefit assessment taxing mechanism is underway. If the board votes to proceed on May 11, ballots will mail May 20. Here is what every Felton property owner should understand before that ballot arrives — including a legal deadline that could permanently strip your right to legal recourse, and a tension at the heart of this assessment that Proposition… Read More

Astrology

Flashes of Insight: Your May 2026 Astrology Forecast

May 2, 2026May 2, 2026 Catie Cadge, PhD

By Catie Cadge, PhD May opens with a Full Moon, on the 1st, in Scorpio, 11°20’, at 10:23 am Pacific time. May Day also features a sextile, 60°, between Venus in Gemini, 09°14’, and Saturn in Aries. This is a good lunar time to dive deep in conversation and discuss any inner work we are doing on ourselves with our… Read More

Uncategorized

Felton Fire Assessment Would More than Double District Budget, Shift from Volunteer to Paid Staffing

May 2, 2026May 2, 2026 slvpost.com

Property owners could receive ballots as early as May 20 The Felton Fire Protection District is asking property owners to approve a $1.7 million annual benefit assessment that would transform the district from a historically volunteer-based agency into a fully paid department. If the board votes to proceed on May 11, ballots are expected in mailboxes May 20. The assessment… Read More

Infrastructure

Fire Chiefs and Residents Push for Permanent Highway 9 Slide Repairs

May 1, 2026May 2, 2026 slvpost.com

By Jim Helmer In December, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) released its draft 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) — a 25-year spending plan that is a first step in securing federal, state, and local funding — for public review. Fire Chiefs from Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, and Zayante were dismayed to find no funding identified for permanent repairs to the… Read More

Real Estate Uncategorized

Valley Homes in Motion

April 30, 2026May 1, 2026 MaryBeth McLaughlin

How the Market Expanded, Contracted, and Repriced Over the last 25 Years By MaryBeth McLaughlin When I’m out showing property, I hear a version of the same comment almost every week: “Wow… prices have really gone up around here.” But what’s just as true is that compared to Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, or much of the Bay Area, the San… Read More

Fire Recovery Local News

Roaring Camp Works to Protect Forest and Neighboring Communities from Wildfire

April 28, 2026May 2, 2026 slvpost.com

Roaring Camp Railroads has been taking steps to protect its old-growth forest, and the neighborhoods that border it, from wildfire. The railroad has partnered with Boulder Creek-based Cosentino Timber Enterprises to construct shaded fuel breaks across roughly 180 acres of forestland adjacent to the Henry Cowell and Mount Hermon communities, with work expected to continue throughout 2026. The project involves… Read More

Hikes Local News

April in Bloom: The Best Wildflower Trails in and Around the San Lorenzo Valley

April 25, 2026May 2, 2026 slvpost.com

Spring is the best time to explore wildflower trails in the San Lorenzo Valley and nearby hills, where redwood shade, sunny ridges, and serpentine soils create very different bloom patterns. The strongest bets are Big Basin, Fall Creek, San Vicente Redwoods, and a few Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains preserves that usually show a good mix of native flowers… Read More

Fire Departments Local News

Felton Fire Protection District Updates

April 25, 2026May 3, 2026 slvpost.com

Latest News Felton Fire Assessment Would More than Double District Budget, Shift from Volunteer to Paid Staffing Understanding Proposition 218 and the Felton Fire Benefit Assessment Parcel Tax Attempt Sept. 17, 2025 Details of Proposed Felton Fire Parcel Tax Remain Unclear (Santa Cruz Local) Sept. 9, 2025 Felton Fire Floats Parcel Tax to Save District (Santa Cruz Local) Aug. 6,… Read More

Bridgets Gambit Ben Lomond author Craig Harwood

Books Local News

Local Author Craig Harwood Uncovers a Fascinating Chapter of the American West

April 24, 2026May 2, 2026 slvpost.com

Ben Lomond resident Craig Harwood spent four years reconstructing the extraordinary life of his Irish immigrant ancestor By Mary Andersen When Craig Harwood was growing up, his family told stories about a remarkable woman, a tough, sharp-minded matriarch who seemed larger than life. She was his third great-grandmother, Bridget Miranda Evoy, and the more Harwood dug into her history, the… Read More

Columns Fire Departments History

Felton Fire Protection District: A Local History of Volunteer Service and Growth

April 18, 2026May 1, 2026 Mary Andersen

By Mary Andersen Felton Fire Protection District grew out of a long local tradition of volunteer fire protection in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its history dates to the 1930s and 1940s. The story centers on the Fetherston family, early volunteers, and the community’s decision to create a formal district so Felton could fund equipment, staff, and a permanent firehouse. Early… Read More