Columns Archives

French Broom: The Plant That Fire Loves

July 28, 2026August 7, 2026 slvpost.com

From the Ground Up: Invasive of the Month: French Broom By Linda Skeff By now, French Broom (Genista monspessulana) is everywhere — blanketing hillsides, lining neighborhood roadsides, spreading in dense walls along Route 236 and Mount Hermon Road. It has been here so long that many of us barely notice it anymore. That familiarity is part of the problem. Introduced… Read More

Columns Real Estate

The Market Has Thawed: Buyers Are Back, Prices Are Steady, and Patience Pays Off

July 26, 2026August 4, 2026 slvpost.com

A review of 642 San Lorenzo Valley real estate listings shows buyers returning, inventory expanding, and prices holding remarkably steady. For this month’s analysis, I reviewed 642 residential listings throughout Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, Felton, Mount Hermon, and Lompico from July 1, 2024 through June 2026. The results paint a picture of a market that is neither booming nor… Read More

Columns Food & Drink

Sourdough Soft Pretzels with Super Soda

July 12, 2026July 31, 2026 Thomas Andersen

By Tom Andersen Did you ever wonder how the soft pretzel made its way into the sports arena — baseball parks in particular? Consider this: Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, soft pretzels, and Lent. What? Turns out there may indeed be a connection — work with me. The soft pretzel was invented by a monk in some obscure European monastery… Read More

Astrology Columns

July Horoscope: Fireworks, Retrogrades, and a New Jupiter Era

July 1, 2026July 18, 2026 Catie Cadge, PhD

By Catie Cadge PhD “Red and white, blue suede shoes”…Happy Birthday, America! The big news this month is the arrival of Jupiter into Leo, which occurred at the end of June. Jupiter will be in the sign of the lion until next July 26, 2027. For those with Sun sign Leo, this is your year! Look to see what degree… Read More

Creekside Real Estate San Lorenzo Valley

Columns Real Estate

What Makes a Mountain Property Truly Valuable?

June 21, 2026July 9, 2026 MaryBeth McLaughlin

From Logging Flumes to Creekfront Retreats By MaryBeth McLaughlin Long before the Santa Cruz Mountains became home to commuters, artists, retirees, and weekend dreamers, the creeks determined where people settled. Water meant survival. It powered lumber mills, supplied homes, and carved the canyon routes that would later become many of our mountain roads. In the logging era, wooden flumes carried… Read More

Columns Gardening

The Shrub That Starts the Season: Pink Flowering Currant

June 17, 2026June 23, 2026 slvpost.com

By Linda Skeff In February, while much of the San Lorenzo Valley still feels suspended between winter storms, Pink flowering currant is already in bloom. Long before most native shrubs have opened a bud, its cascading pink flower clusters hang along woodland edges and creek corridors, signaling the beginning of another growing season in the Santa Cruz Mountains. That early… Read More

Columns Commentary Water

Retiring Water Director Fultz Weighs In Before Stepping Down

June 11, 2026June 17, 2026 slvpost.com

I’m Bob Fultz, currently a Director of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD), but I’m speaking only for myself. While I would very much enjoy a robust campaign discussing the future of our water district, I will not be running for re-election this November, having decided to retire from public life at the end of my term in December.… Read More

Astrology Columns

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

Columns History Real Estate

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