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Friends, if your lawn is luxuriant and green, I’m here to tell you that you’re heading for a heartbreak. And if words such as sage and yucca, poppy, manzanita and native grasses aren’t yet rolling off your tongue, they soon will be.

Since the closure of Fort Ord in 1994, the 28,000 acres that comprised the military base have been spun off into various civilian uses. As a part of that process, on April 12, 2012, President Obama signed a declaration setting aside 14,650 acres—half of the former base—as Fort Ord National Monument. The Bureau of Land Management currently oversees 7,200 acres, and the remainder will be turned over to the BLM once the military completes environmental remediation.

What was once a pair of 18-hole courses—the Diablo and Gabilan—became one 18-hole layout in the first week of July, months after it became clear that the club could no longer support two courses from an economic standpoint. Although painful at first, Ridgemark PGA Head Professional Alex Rodriguez said all of the members involved with the club are finally getting their groove back.

The satellite Planned Parenthood office in San Benito County will close its doors in downtown Hollister on Friday because the lease is up this year and the facility is “outdated,” according to administrators.

Aromas is making a name for itself again. Yes, the little town boasts seven murals, one of them brand spanking new this past week, created by Aromas Hills Artisans. Everyone knows the place is thick with artists of all types. So what’s new? Did you know that for every five artisans there is a writer. There are local authors of everything from magazine articles to children’s books, mysteries, fantasy, history, fiction, philosophy, nonfiction and newspaper articles.

San Benito County sold publicly owned landfill space for out-of-county waste disposal; that will free up about $5 million dollars in unneeded landfill closing-cost set-asides as part of the deal. A significant portion of those funds, perhaps half, were originally paid for by in-county residents and businesses as part of their mandatory trash bills. Fairness dictates that the portion residents paid be used to stabilize or reduce the current and future trash bills.

San Juan Bautista resident Jordan Garrick may put shoes on horses' hooves during the day to pay bills, but he moonlights as a fledgling actor.

SAN JOSE—Outdoor hockey is coming to Northern California.