Guest Columnist

This January, Santa Cruz County is celebrating Positive Parenting Awareness Month for the seventh year in a row, and several other counties in California are joining in — Inyo, Napa, Mendocino, Sonoma and possibly more!

As you may well have heard, at the end of 2017 Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. While corporations might be celebrating the cut of the top corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, many might be wondering how the new tax law affects them personally.

I’m not sure who to blame for just how fast consumer services are rendered. I think with the advent and revelation of the seven-minute abs work out video companies have pushed for faster is better. I think faster is sometimes better … I mean, I go fast in my car and that’s kind of cool and getting information off my blazing fast internet is useful, but closing a mortgage loan in 10 days sounds … not right! If you’re a seasoned home buyer or a seasoned refinancer then this article might not be for you.

The word "whisky" comes from Scottish and Irish Gaelic, "uisge beatha," or "usquebaugh," meaning "water of life." Many other countries give the same name to their distilled spirits including "eau de vie" in France, "acquavite" in Italy, and "akvavit" in Scandinavia. Why would anyone want to take away something as essential as the "water of life"?

It’s that time of year again for our annual article on end of year financial tasks to complete. It’s hard to believe that 2018 is already drawing to a close as it just seems like yesterday we were celebrating New Years! In between festivities, take a few minutes to knock off a couple financial “to-do’s.”

For the first time in decades, significant upgrades and improvements are planned for libraries in our district. Let’s look at how we got here, what’s planned and how you can get involved in the process.

The Board of Supervisors recently completed our budget hearings and as part of the hearings we received reports from departments about their goals for the coming year based on Board priorities.

A couple of months ago we wrote about some of the major changes taking place with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last December. However, this month we wanted to focus on two aspects in particular and how you may be able to utilize some of the changes for your benefit.

Sign your business up today to be a part of our 34th annual Business Showcase, to be held at Seascape Beach Resort on Feb. 20. This Showcase is a great way for businesses and community groups to network with each other and with our residents. This is the original business showcase in Santa Cruz County. Call the Aptos Chamber today at 688-1467 to find out more information, mark your calendars for Feb. 20, and be a part of this great community event.

2018 sales volume is flat compared to 2017. 1,668 homes sold in Santa Cruz County at an Average Price of $833,869. In Aptos, 263 homes sold at an Average Price of $1,199,047 and Median Price of $1,003,000; much higher than the county but same as 2017.