Columns Archives

Sunshine Daydream | June 2026 Horoscope

June 2, 2026June 11, 2026 slvpost.com

By Catie Cadge PhD June begins with Mercury entering Cancer on the 1st at 4:55 am, Pacific time, followed by the Sun in Gemini making a sextile (60° angle) to Saturn, 12°24’ Aries, on the 2nd. Loving words can nurture us now. They help us be more flexible and open to stepping into where we need to take action and… Read More

The Brookdale Nature Writer Who Helped Save Big Basin

May 20, 2026June 4, 2026 slvpost.com

The historic home of an early conservationist — now offered for sale in Brookdale. By MaryBeth McLaughlin, The Mountain Ear Real Estate Columnist More than a hundred years ago, a writer named Virginia Garland Ballen lived in Brookdale among the redwoods. From her mountain home she wrote newspaper columns about wildflowers, birds, forest ponds, and the quiet life of the… Read More

Columns Valley People

Family Ties: Meet the Smith Family

May 10, 2026May 19, 2026 slvpost.com

By Michele Murphy What makes up a family? Is it based on biological blood relations? Is it the people you would call in case of an emergency? Folks who know everything about you — including your history, habits, and sense of humor — and still love you anyway? Families come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations, and many times they… Read More

Columns Real Estate

Valley Homes in Motion

April 30, 2026May 5, 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

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

Columns History

A Mountain Town in Transition: Boulder Creek in the 1920s

April 9, 2026April 25, 2026 slvpost.comboulder creek, history

Boulder Creek in the 1920s was a town moving between two eras. The logging boom that had once defined the San Lorenzo Valley was fading, but the town continued as a mountain community with a reputation for scenic beauty, informal commerce, and traces of its wild frontier past. If you had been standing on Boulder Creek’s main street in 1927,… Read More

Columns Food & Drink

Pickled Eggs: A Call for Their Return

April 5, 2026April 12, 2026 Thomas Andersen

By Tom Andersen Are the days of peanuts and pickled eggs at the bar really over? I hope I’m wrong, but have a look around; they’re part of a by-gone era. Didn’t seem that long ago one could have a seat at Joe’s or the Boulder Club in the Rex Hotel, George’s Log Cabin (now Monte’s) or even the old… Read More

Astrology Columns

A Time for Restoring Peace | April Astrology

April 5, 2026April 12, 2026 Catie Cadge, PhD

By Catie Cadge PhD April 1st kicks off the month with a Full Moon in Libra, 12°21’, at 7:11 pm Pacific time, square Jupiter in Cancer, 15°51’. Let’s hope for peaceful diplomacy during such a stormy time of military might and delusion. We are in Aries season and Saturn, at 5°41’, and Neptune, 2°14’, are still in range of a… Read More

Astrology Columns

March 2026 Astrology Forecast: Magic is in the Air

March 1, 2026March 5, 2026 slvpost.com

By Catie Cadge PhD Springtime is upon us, Santa Cruz stargazers! I love it when the hills turn green and new little buds on the trees appear around our valley. We are in eclipse season. A time of new beginnings and rebirth! On March 3rd, we have a total lunar eclipse, 12°53’ Virgo, 3:37 am Pacific time. If the skies… Read More

Columns Gardening

Taming Winter Rains in the Santa Cruz Mountains Garden

February 16, 2026March 3, 2026 slvpost.com

Managing Drainage and Erosion in Your SLV Garden By Marielle Martin February in the San Lorenzo Valley means we’re in the thick of rainy season, and while our gardens desperately need this water, too much of a good thing can create problems. Between our steep hillsides and clay-heavy soils, many SLV gardeners are dealing with soggy spots, eroded slopes, and… Read More