It's got a ways to go before it gets wrecked like Malibu, but I think we need to be very careful about growth. Maria Mattioli, Santa Cruz, Psychotherapist               It might be on its way … it's still kind of a laid-back town. Dennis Judd, Scotts Valley, Business Development...

The SilverSneakers program is crusading for fitness by making it free Soon after signing up for my 2015 Medicare health plan with Humana Healthways FIT, I was surprised to receive a fitness club membership in the mail—included at no cost, as a benefit from the insurance company. Though I’d never heard of SilverSneakers, this “active adult...

Falling somewhere between the early ’70s metal of Black Sabbath and late ‘60s psych-rock, locals Mountain Tamer (Sometimes spelled MTN TMR) mix heavy riffs, experimental structures and pop hooks with an eerie, almost sinister sound. It’s not easy to understand the lyrics, but it almost doesn’t matter—they are obviously dark. At their shows, they play loud...

A much-anticipated annual event at Bargetto Winery is the release of their very special La Vita red wine. June 7 was the day to be heralded this year, and I happily squeezed my car into their overloaded car park in eager anticipation of tasting the new La Vita nectar. A blend of 57 percent Dolcetto, 35...

Does social networking leave us more drained than entertained? The average person spends 1.72 hours on social media per day, according to a 2015 report from GlobalWebIndex. Until I spent almost two months off of social media, I didn’t know that giving up a couple of hours could feel like getting back years. In January, I...

‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ revisits one of the most notorious studies of all time It has been the source for so many anecdotes that skeptics tend to believe it’s an urban legend. But the Stanford Prison Experiment actually occurred, 44 years ago this summer, in the basement of Jordan Hall on the Stanford University campus. Kyle...

New bakery opens in Ben Lomond, plus Randall Grahm’s quest to grow 10,000 new grape varieties, and Mexican cooking classes The hard-working cuisine artists behind Casa Nostra restaurant have recently unveiled a bakery across Highway 9. Ben Lomond Baking Company—housed in a rustic former antique store just before the road bends left toward Henflings—opens early and...

Cabrillo Stage rises to the challenge of ‘Mary Poppins’ Don’t expect a literal adaptation of the Walt Disney movie at the new Cabrillo Stage production of Mary Poppins (the Broadway Musical). This second offering of the CS summer musical season originally debuted in London’s West End in 2004 and transferred to Broadway in 2006. It’s an...

Framemaker Troy Stafford on the archaic craft of custom-built frames What if you inherited a 16th century painting, and it needed a frame worthy of its antiquity and value? Where could you have a frame made that would be handcrafted and of authentic period design? Well, you could go to Troy Stafford’s studio on the Westside...

Popular Capitola spot gets new owner and complete makeover Margaritaville has a new owner, Sarah Orr, and she has completely revamped the Capitola restaurant. It was closed last December and reopened this past May. Margaritas still flow abundantly, and their food is Mexican seafood. We spoke with Orr about the kinds of changes she made, and...