Columns

He has much in common with other residents of Los Gatos: He’s a veteran who grew up in a family with mining interests overseas. He’ll buy you a cold drink on a hot day. When he’s offered a free beer at the bar he...

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....

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...

Along a Highway 101 frontage road near San Juan Bautista there’s a discrete wrought iron sign proclaiming, “FREEDOM REIGNS.'' You may have driven by many times and never noticed it, or the keypad located just below to the left. We slowed down to enter...

Mental health is an integral aspect of overall well-being, yet it often remains overshadowed by physical health. This disparity is particularly pronounced among men, who face unique societal pressures and stigmas that can hinder their ability to seek help. The Silent Struggle Traditionally, men have been...

“He won’t go away until you come out and see him,” our exasperated office manager, Marilyn Fitch, who’d been trying to protect me from the unscheduled visitor to our Royce Street office, came back and informed me.  “Who?” I asked. “Harry Cohen.” I was always happy to...

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...

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” —motto associated with the United States Postal Service But developers might? Our little charming town of Los Gatos has had a post office since 1864. But...

First, the disclaimer. While I am the chairperson of the Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC), I write this article on my own behalf. Second, hopefully, my colleagues on CHSSC and the Los Gatos Town Council will not decide to oust me or demote...

As a resident of Los Gatos, I’ve come to appreciate the town’s unique blend of charm, tranquility and a certain...let’s say, pleasantness. It’s a place where everyone seems to be on their best behavior, a land of smiling faces and polite conversations. But as I’ve...