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On Aug. 10, 2022, the Los Gatan published an article by Drew Penner on the Town’s efforts to acknowledge the first people of Los Gatos. We were dismayed by the comments anthropologist Alan Leventhal made regarding the Tamien Nation, which were repeated by Muwekma...

My dad was an all-around handyperson. He had a well-equipped work room in our basement and the knack to take on and complete difficult home improvement projects, such as installing a central air conditioning system, vents and all, to cool our entire house.  Sadly, I...

My North Santa Cruz Avenue business, Beyond Text Bookstore, has now been open for over six months. That’s six months the place has been filled with real people—not just my dreams and hopes. Upon reflection, I wanted to share a little about what I didn’t know...

I’m still reading the biography of Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. The book is more than 1,000 pages long, so cut me some slack. My last column channeled Twain’s propensity to write fake news stories when he was a journalist. Prior to picking up Chernow’s...

There are drought-tolerant, warm season turf grasses that are tougher, require less water/maintenance/fertilizer and, if maintained properly, will equal or exceed artificial grass in quality, safety and perhaps usability. Natural grass fields also have many other health and environmental benefits such as providing oxygen,...

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...

Andrew J. Scott's work on the Longevity Economy offers a compelling lens through which to view the future of Los Gatos, with its significant and growing older adult population. Rather than framing increased life expectancy as a societal burden, Scott emphasizes the economic opportunities...

In 1950, Rotary International adopted two mottoes. One was “He Profits Most Who Serves Best” (Rotary did not officially welcome women until 1989), and the other was “Service Above Self.” To this day, Rotary continues to use the latter motto. After being a member of...

Volunteers know it is difficult to accomplish change. When I sought along with several others to get a Restorative Justice program implemented at a Los Gatos school, I initially encountered great enthusiasm for the idea. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm was followed by inaction on the...

The Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC) recently reported to the Town Council, detailing deficiencies in the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services in Los Gatos. CHSSC’s possible next step, subject to council approval, will be to develop a roadmap to...