Columns

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...

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...

A week before the 2022 New Year, I received a text from a friend expressing his dismay at the great number of dead newts he saw on Alma Bridge Road while he was biking. This was right after one of the December winter storms....

Fruiting warm season vegetables that are now in season, such as squash, tomatoes and beans, are more abundant with regular harvest. Plants that produce such fruit respond to their natural obligation to generate seed. Deprivation of the fruit that contains their seed stimulates production...

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...

The back-to-school season can be a time of excitement and anticipation, but can also bring anxiety and stress for children. As parents and caregivers, supporting kids through these transitions is crucial, especially when it comes to their mental health. Why are transitions hard for kids? Transitions...

It strikes me that the major reason for allowing cannabis dispensaries in Los Gatos would be to generate more revenue. Assuming for argument’s sake that this is correct, there are options for generating revenue other than from allowing cannabis dispensaries in town. I often...

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...

What were your favorite school memories as a child? Mine included counting roly-polies in the grass at recess, having mud-sliding contests after school, and picking wildflowers with my friends. Some of my least favorite memories were having to play soccer on plastic turf on...

During the past few years, I’ve served as a member of the Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC) in Los Gatos. For most of that time, our commission, which is supposed to have six adult members and one youth member, has had one...