Guest Columnist

Sept. 15 marked 10 years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The Financial Crisis of 2008 wiped out about 8.8 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and caused about $19 trillion in household wealth to evaporate. While the recession officially started in December 2007, we wanted to review a timeline of some key events and also look forward to the future.

“Everyone has a plan ‘till they get punched in the mouth,” was famously said by boxing legend, Mike Tyson. On March 16 our two businesses, Oceanside Supported Living and Safe at Home Senior Care, received a Mike Tyson size punch square in the mouth...

As I begin each new year as your County Supervisor, I like to report back in this column on some of the things we’ve accomplished because of your partnership and communication of priorities.

By Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor As the world economy has plunged toward recession the local economy, and County budget, are facing the same retraction. With the tourism industry, one of the largest employers and tax elements (directly through hotel taxes and indirectly through...

The holiday season is upon us! 2017 has flown by and we are only weeks away from Thanksgiving. Friday, Nov. 24 means a mad dash to be the first in line at your favorite store for Black Friday shopping, or maybe you shop from the convenience of your living room on Cyber Monday. Either way, the holiday season can turn into a stressful time of juggling family obligations, parties, and last minute to do’s before you ring in the New Year. However, the holiday season can also be an opportune time to teach your kids lessons about giving and basic financial literacy. Below are a couple of ideas to consider.

Aptos Village once had a Town Hall on the corner of Valencia Street and Trout Gulch Road, but it had been torn down.

The recent market volatility at the end of 2018 reminded us that markets don’t always behave as we would like. We’re sure that many people probably fell out of their chair after they opened up their Dec. 31 account statements.

As I begin each new year as your County Supervisor, I like to report back in this column on some of the things we’ve accomplished because of your partnership and communication of priorities. Here is a very small overview of what we accomplished in 2017: Community Meetings: In 2017, we’ve held 71 open office hours in Aptos, Corralitos, La Selva Beach and Watsonville and held or attended nearly 50 community and neighborhood meetings in Seacliff, La Selva Beach, Aptos, Watsonville, Capitola and Corralitos. In addition, I’ve written over 50 columns in local papers and neighborhood newsletters and sent a number of e-newsletters to communicate with our district about county happenings.

The title is supposedly an acronym for where the name “golf” came from. I don’t like to be politically incorrect but, this is what is called an “old wives’ tale.” Women have been very involved in golf on the Monterey Bay. Marion Hollins, a championship golfer, developed the Cypress Point Club and Pasatiempo Golf Club.

In a recent budget message to the Board, the County Administrative Officer noted that as the county emerged from the Great Recession, the Board has worked to limit the growth of the overall budget while focusing on restoring reserves and investing in key