Let’s cheer this month for all the dads who take their job in fatherhood to heart! Our kids, families and communities are blessed to have you in our lives and the world is better because...
This season brings feelings of pride, nostalgia, excitement, and, let’s be honest, financial worry to many. Whether your child is heading off to college, taking a gap year, or jumping straight into the workforce, the...
In the world of food, there are some classic combinations that have stood the test of timepeanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, coffee and donuts and wine and cheese. The owners of El Jardin...
I remember a heavy conversation with my then 4-year-old son in a restaurant where we watched pelicans hunting fish. Fish eat worms and bugs, I explained. Then birds eat the fish. Then bigger birds or...
The annual Summer Lunch program, sponsored by La Manzana Community Resources (LMCR), a program of Community Bridges’ Family Resource Collective, will kick off on June 9. Kids 18 and younger can pick up a free...
In Santa Cruz, strawberries are practically part of the scenery—we’re surrounded by some of the biggest berry farms in the country. But even with berries in stores year-round, there’s something extra magical about local, in-season...
Whether we recognize it or not, power is at play in every interaction between people. Eve Trook wrote about power dynamics between teachers and children in the early 80s. The work was groundbreaking, and to...
Every day, I watch my husband create special memories with our daughter. From playing pretend, singing songs, or going on little adventures of their own, I see their bond growing (as well as a very...
Santa Cruz VegFest is a local event celebrating plant-based, cruelty-free, animal friendly, as well as, an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Now in its third year, Santa Cruz VegFest outgrew the Cocoanut Grove in 2024, and is...
“Oh, I’d want to keep them all.” This tenderhearted response is the most common one I get when I tell people that I foster kittens for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. I just smile...
Ending a relationship is never easy, but in this case the reason was undeniable. Right there in black and white. Line after line after line (after line!) on my Visa statement. It was time to...
When I was in “junior high school,” which is what middle school used to be called, I struggled to find a group of friends who felt like a fit. My parents were educators and I...
We all watched the bully in junior high school. But imagine that you are the younger, or the smaller, or the less assertive one. Or maybe you’re the neurodivergent kid, or you are gay, or...
On the good news front, May 3 is Kids Day downtown, the most wonderful transformation of Santa Cruz into a huge family festival with kids playing music, dancing, being DJs, acting, doing art, you name...
Spring’s Spiky Treasure: Why It’s Time to Love Artichokes May is peak artichoke season here in Santa Cruz — and all along the Central Coast. Just a short drive down Highway 1, you’ll find Castroville...
Has a curious kid ever asked you, “Where does money come from?” You’re not alone! To children, it often feels like money just appears. Adults swipe cards, tap their phones, or hand over bills, and...
Catherine Stihler’s leadership journey spans the globe, with a proven track record of driving success in two major nonprofits— the Open Knowledge Foundation and Creative Commons. Her strategic vision, financial acumen, and commitment to innovation...
In Solidarity, Compassion and Action We’d like to acknowledge that many of us feel scared, angry, overwhelmed, and powerless in the wake of political decisions that threaten people, institutions, and our democracy. While no easy...
Capitola homeowner and Greek Bay Area Legend, Sam Anagnostou — or as I knew him, Uncle Sammy, my uncle who felt more like a father and best friend, the one who taught me to surf...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s also a time when we celebrate our mothers, grandmas, aunties, and other mother figures. Motherhood is a transformative and profound journey — it changes you in such...
By Kristen Brown, Executive Director I am excited and honored to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. With deep roots in Santa Cruz County – working...
The newly revamped Panda Inn in Aptos, located at the Deluxe Plaza, has undergone a flavorful transformation under new management. The restaurant is now proudly family-owned and operated, emphasizing quality and authenticity. The joint now...