Ben Lomond Library Community 

Community Driven Revitalization: Breathing New Life into Ben Lomond Library

By Mary Andersen Friends of the Ben Lomond Library have kicked off revitalization efforts for the historic Ben Lomond Library building and library operations with a meet and greet and volunteer gatherings at the library located on Mill Street in downtown Ben Lomond.  The library building and surrounding property, maintained by the Santa Cruz County Parks Department, have been in… Read More
Columns Music 

Vito and Friends: Rocking the Blues

By Julie Horner The Blues and Rock n’ Roll are two sides of the same coin, someone once said. Like feeling good, and being excited, and both very much the same in value. Rockin’ blues outfit Vito and Friends carries its weight in musical gold, deeply steeped in the Mississippi Delta sound with all the blue notes that grab your… Read More
Alba Schoolhouse Ben Lomond California Community Fire Recovery Local News 

Rebuilding Community in Ben Lomond: The Historic Alba Schoolhouse to be Rebuilt

By Julie Horner It’s full steam ahead for rebuilding the historic Alba Schoolhouse in Ben Lomond, which was destroyed in the 2020 CZU fire. Last August, the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to replace the structure, which has served as a school, a library, and most recently as a community center for the mountain… Read More
H Orientalis Lenten Roses Ben Lomond Column: Josh Reilly Columns Gardening 

A March Garden

by Josh Reilly In February, a gardener’s anticipation borders on intolerable. Especially in those parts of the SLV subject to frost. A lot of what we see growing happily in Santa Cruz, right now, undamaged by frost, is under threat here. Alas, many winter-flowering plants are a lost cause here, with a few very worthwhile exceptions (see below). Flower buds… Read More
Jayme Ackemann Ben Lomond California Columns Fire 

From Denial to Grief and Gratitude

A firsthand perspective on surviving a fire that “couldn’t happen”  By Jayme Ackemann Every fire evacuation isn’t as dramatic as those middle-of-the-night knocks our neighbors in Boulder Creek got, but mine was every bit as terrifying. The CZU Lightning Complex fire evacuation order came down for Ben Lomond, the San Lorenzo Valley town where I live, on August 18. It… Read More