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The Scotts Valley High girls tennis last week capped off the regular season with a flurry by winning four consecutive matches in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League action. They defeated both Santa Cruz and Soquel high schools in pivotal matches to secure second place with a 7-3 record in the league standings. “It was just […]

With 3,524 votes counted so far in the Scotts Valley City Council contest, the incumbent, Greg Wimp—the political body’s newest member, was leading the pack—with 39.49% of the vote—chasing after two open seats, with Michael Zeller, a transportation bureaucrat who works down in Monterey County in second place—with 33.69% of the vote—and former Scotts Valley […]

Setting the Record Straight A letter in last Friday’s Press Banner made claims about me that readers deserve context on.    It suggested I was careless with public money on the SR 156/Castroville Boulevard Interchange. It left out why the project’s cost rose: PG&E needed to relocate a high-pressure gas main, along with additional right-of-way, […]

“Listen! The wind is rising and the air is wild with leaves. We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” —Humbert Wolf All great stories usually begin with “once upon a time” and so shall mine. Once upon a time, Charlie Brown believed the Great Pumpkin would rise from the pumpkin patch on […]

It was the highest nonprofit grants request number the City of Scotts Valley has ever seen. But as elected officials decided on how to distribute the Community Grant Program money Oct. 21, there was only one business that asked for autism accommodation support cash. In June, $50,000 was set aside for community grants, including $5,000 […]

I was in Central Mexico in the highlands of Chiapas many years ago during this celebration and was able to experience this tradition and enjoy the hundreds of marigolds growing around cottages, small businesses and churches. The village of San Juan Chamula had dozens of greenhouses all growing marigolds. The Indian people use lots of […]

SLV Middle School presents ‘Shrek The Musical JR.’ San Lorenzo Valley Middle School Theatre will present “Shrek The Musical JR.” with performances Nov. 6-15 at the SLV Performing Arts Center in Felton. Based on the DreamWorks Animation motion picture and the book by William Steig, the family-friendly musical follows an ogre named Shrek on a […]

Reber and Wimp for Scotts Valley Council Nov. 3, 2026, will be a consequential election for Scotts Valley. Voters will elect two City Council members who will help determine the next city manager, the future of the Town Center, and how to address unfunded mandates. Danny Reber, a lifelong Scotts Valley resident, is running for […]

I continue to feel lucky to meet people, businesses and nonprofits in our Valley who bring vision, skills and most importantly, heart and soul. Recently, I overheard Ann Young talking about Damians Ladder. Well, you know me. I couldn’t resist butting in. “Damians Ladder? What do you do for our seniors?” I asked. I had […]

On Wednesday just before noon at the Summit Store, all anyone seemed to be talking about was the upcoming court hearing for the potential release of convicted rapist Michael Cheek to the Loma Prieta neighborhood of Los Gatos. And at a packed meeting at Loma Prieta Elementary School the night before—with the Santa Cruz County sheriff and multiple […]