Opinion

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...

It’s time, once again, for a humorous column, dear reader. In that vein, I welcome Mark Twain to the conversation. Ron Chernow’s recently published biography of the famous author serves as the backdrop. According to Chernow, before he was America’s most celebrated humorist, Mark Twain...

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...

Did Blum’s comedic Los Gatan article fill a pothole? My recent Los Gatan piece, a brief foray into levity after a series of my more usual serious columns, featured a few lines about the “Grand Canyon-sized pothole” on the Highway 17 north on-ramp. I even mused,...

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and remained healthy. I’m a “cup is half full” kind of guy, and believe that 2022 has a lot of positive surprises in store for all of us! Board President. In December, my colleagues...

I am a lifelong Los Gatos resident and an active member of our community, including serving as vice-president of the Los Gatos Morning Rotary and other community groups. I am very involved in mental health education and advocacy, including serving as co-chair of Santa...

In nature, water always contains dissolved minerals and nutrients. Water “hardness” is determined by the concentrations of minerals present in a particular water source—specifically calcium and magnesium. Simply put, hard water is mineral water that comes from your tap.  Water containing high amounts of calcium...

The recent article on Sahr Fania by Drew Penner (Los Gatan, Nov. 2-8) was wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing the story of a Los Gatan who does not fill the profile that is often told about “important” people in other Los Gatos publications. Please...

(Executive Editor Dan Pulcrano’s obituary for businessman Ed Stahl, which ran in last week’s newspaper, sparks outpouring of remembrances) I am a cousin of Ed Stahl, living in Virginia, where he had numerous cousins. We all loved Ed—his cheerful smile, his booming voice and his lifelong...

How would travel advice apply in more serious anti-Americanism situations? (In response to last week’s Guest View article by etiquette expert Pamela Eyring) How would she handle an incident involving a 9th grader being physically attacked in broad daylight in a public location while on a...