Cover: Love Bites
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' writer and UC- Santa Cruz grad Marti Noxon kicks it up on love, fear and what it means to be a girl.

News: Green Envy
How the valley's few remaining community gardens are being plowed under for development.

Metropolis News Extras

• Saratoga: Generous Saratogan pleads no contest to theft, fraud.
  
• Cupertino: Apple and city agree company should step up community involvement.
  

Group Six: Tired of fighting the odds? Group dinner dates can improve them.

Public Eye: WG pols split on airport measure. Honda campaign manager quits. Giants star slugger sued by mansion contractors.

A Mozart Marvel: Soloist Sarah Chang's turn at the SJ Symphony was full of youthful exuberance.

Aural Fixation: Big names at small clubs; local band in the big city; old rockers at Pebble.

Audiofile: Reviews of new CDs by Ethan Daniel Davidson and Lee Press-On and the Nails.

Unholy 'Smoke' And Mirrors: Jane Campion's 'Holy Smoke' steams up the Outback.

Leonardo Beached: Postcard views can't save DiCaprio in deserted-island downer 'The Beach.'

Cthulhu and You: Deep inside a geek's mind.

A Smoking 'Carmen': TOpera SJ and Layna Chianakas do Bizet proud.

American Dreamers: 'Sons of Don Juan' seek a better life.

A Chill in the 'Country': Troubling issues haunt SJ Stage's 'God's Country.'

Smooth Adobe: Los Altos' Adobe Creek surges with flavor, freshness and perfect preparation.