Columns

Autumn is also fall here. Actually, 'fall' is the more popular name. It had been the popular name in England during the Sixteenth Century. The (generally) French name of “autumn” became more common there during the Seventeenth Century. Yet, both names remained in use...

This is the second of two articles highlighting constructive ways to consider the difficult issue of development in Los Gatos. The first article focused on the importance of remaining civil with one another as we navigate the Housing Element and Builder’s Remedy law-related issues....

Green is the most common floral color. It only seems to be rare amongst flowers because almost all green bloom relies on wind for pollination. Thus, neither color nor fragrance is useful to get the attention of pollinators. Actually, green flowers do not get...

On Aug. 10, 1887—135 years ago today—a newly created Board of Trustees voted to officially incorporate the Town of Los Gatos. Let’s mark the occasion with a quiz about our beloved town’s history. 1. Who was awarded a land grant for El Rancho Rinconada de...

I started my holiday season by getting hacked. The hacking was a product of my foolishness rather than a case of my supposed diminishing faculties due to my age (71 1/2) getting the better of me. Something was fishy (no pun intended) in the...

At the 114 Royce St. newspaper office, we sometimes worked until midnight in the startup days. One warm night, I walked outside to the distinctive smell of freshly roasting coffee beans. A column of smoke rose over Main Street, three blocks away.  I followed it...

With plans underway for a massive redevelopment of the sprawling Los Gatos Meadows complex, I thought it might be interesting to share a brief history of this property. In 1886, workers put the finishing touches on the first structure to occupy the site, a magnificent...

Saturation of the soil should be a rare problem within the local chaparral climates. Water is a limited resource. That is why plants that are not native or endemic to other chaparral or desert climates rely on supplemental irrigation. Many exotic species would not...

Regardless of how appealing many of them are in home gardens and landscapes, vines are flagrantly exploitative. They rely on shrubbery, trees or anything they can climb on for support. As they reach the tops of their supports, they extend their foliar canopies above....

On April 5, the Los Gatos Town Council will consider whether to approve the Los Gatos Meadows rebuild, which would bring 174 units of senior housing online. As a 24-year Town resident who lives near the site, I believe that the project is essential...