Hold on to your heartstrings! Love is the driving force in “The Addams Family, A New Musical,” a delightfully dark and comedic tale of two families: the straight-laced midwestern Beinekes and the graveyard-dwelling Addams, who despite stark differences in demeanor, personal style and preferences, have more in common than meets the eye. Based on characters created by Charles Addams, and the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, “The Addams Family, A New Musical” – as embodied onstage by the Mount Madonna School (MMS) high school cast – dazzles with memorable characters, great physical energy, witty humor and poignant, lyric ballads. Performances are…
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Keeping Food Local and Fun
What looks like a glorious local grocery store is actually, more and more with each passing year, a form of rebellion, a forefront in the fight to keep Santa Cruz more…Santa Cruz. Andre Beauregard, 42, the hands-on owner-operator behind that Shopper’s Corner store in Midtown Santa Cruz, understands the city about as well as anyone. He grew up biking and surfing along the Westside, playing hide-and-seek at Lighthouse Field State Beach, and romping with his siblings and dogs—and riding motorcycles—around his family’s vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Meanwhile he was helping his family at Shopper’s, which involves interacting with hundreds of fellow residents, and tracking how the area’s small…
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‘A Christmas Carol’ Was a Fun Experience
A couple of days ago my parents took me to see “The Christmas Carol” at the veterans hall in downtown Santa Cruz California. I sat directly in front of the stage with my mom and dad and my little sister. It was great because we could see the actors’ faces and bodies really well from so close. And we could touch the fake snow that was lying on the floor right in front of the stage. Sometimes the actors would walk right past us on their way to the stage. We were so close that we were part of the play. When local actor Mike James, who was playing the…
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Winter Enrichment for Pets and Kids
As we move into Santa Cruz County’s winter weather, we may find ourselves spending more time indoors with our families and pets. And when the cozy moments inevitably turn into chaos, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation is here to help with ideas to keep both kids and pets engaged, happy, and out of trouble. Unwanted behavior is one of the leading reasons people surrender their pets to shelters. These behaviors often arise as dogs and cats enter puberty—much like their human pre-teen counterparts. But the good news is that enrichment activities can prevent or redirect these behaviors while fostering a deeper connection between pets and their families. Animal…
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Eating to Save the Planet
In the vibrant tapestry of Santa Cruz County’s nonprofit community, Eat for the Earth stands out as an organization with a mission as bold as it is necessary: to transform the way we eat to protect the planet. This vibrant grassroots movement is not only addressing personal health but also tackling one of the most pressing issues of our time—climate change. Reverend Beth Love, the Executive Director and driving force behind Eat for the Earth, is committed to advancing the practice of sustainable living. A longtime Santa Cruz resident, Love combines deep expertise in plant-based nutrition with a passion for environmental stewardship. Her leadership has helped establish Eat for the…
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Mastering the Positive Time-Out
The notion of Positive Time-Out came out of Positive Discipline. Positive Discipline is a parenting approach that promotes a relationship-based, mutually respectful, and developmentally appropriate way of meeting children’s needs for belonging and significance while teaching them valuable social and life skills. Under the Positive Discipline model, the disciplinary tool known as “time-out” has been transformed into the Positive Time-Out, a parenting tool aligned with the idea that when we model respect, engage in connection before correction, encourage (rather than punish) discouraged children, and help meet children’s psychosocial needs, children are more likely to feel and do their best. Different Types of Time-Out Imagine a group of children playing in…
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First Baby of 2025
Dominican Hospital is excited to announce that it has welcomed its first baby of the year! Dominican Hospital welcomed a healthy baby girl, Elliana Mae Azmy, Wednesday morning. She arrived at 3:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025, weighing 6 pounds and measuring 21 inches in length.Elliana’s mother, Lily Adelia Kornher, and father, Elijah Azmy, from Boulder Creek, are delighted with their new bundle of joy. Nurses at Dominican Hospital’s Birth Center’s presented the family with a beautiful gift basket filled with goodies and essentials for the sweet newborn. Both mother Lily and baby Elliana are healthy and doing well.
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Community Rallies Around “The Little Mermaid JR”
Amid extreme wind, drenching rains – even a tornado touching down locally – and following months of preparations for its middle school production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid JR,” the Mount Madonna School (MMS) community did what it does so well: come together to support one another in a time of need. Due to a downed tree and power line, access to the school was cut off Saturday morning, resulting in the cancellation of Saturday afternoon’s sold out show. Head of School Ann Goewert and Advancement Director Kevict Yen, meanwhile, were already on campus, having arranged for an early-morning delivery of an industrial, 70,000-watt generator to have on hand as…
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Holiday Lights Guide
Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation introduces the Inaugural Holiday Glow Guide—a community-driven showcase of our area’s most festive and dazzling holiday displays. The Glow Guide features local homes with twinkling lights, creative decorations, and festive charm. How to Join: Register your home as a festive stop by submitting your address and a photo at 2024 Holiday Glow Guide and Contest. Once registered, your home will be added to the online Glow Guide map for the community to explore. Every entry receives a $5 promo code for Winter-Spring activity registration. The winner will receive a $50 Parks & Recreation gift card.
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Glowing Drive-Thru at the Fairgrounds
Gowing reindeer, a snowman tipping his hat, bicycles circling the sky, a towering Christmas tree and a lit up water tank house are just a fraction of this year’s HOLIDAY LIGHTS drive and walk-through display at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. The family-oriented event started Nov. 29 and runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve. “Because many of our guests have a Christmas Eve tradition of coming to HOLIDAY LIGHTS on December 24th, we will have two Bonus Nights this year – December 23 and December 24,” said Ron Haedicke, marketing director for the Fairgrounds Foundation. Over the past year, volunteers have been working to…
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Lindsey Chester Launches Theatre 831
You don’t have to tell Lindsey Chester that all the world’s a stage! Chester has devoted herself and two decades of artistic management helping young performers take their first steps with All About TheaterMany of her young students go on to larger regional stages, even Hollywood and Broadway! Now the founder of AAT is expanding her reach by leasing and opening up the Colligan Theater for a new season of performance. Taking over the former Tannery Arts Center home of the Jewel Theater with her new project Theater 831, Chester is already reaching out to local arts groups. Giving priority to performance groups at the Tannery World Dance and Cultural…
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Local Businesses Need Your Help
We got some disturbing news recently from two local businesses we love. They are struggling badly and need us to shop in their stores. The good news is that we can help them, just by shopping in real life, not online.The bad news is that we may be watching the end of retail as we know it. Amazon and the billionaires boys club are killing local businesses. Wonderland Toys, a great shop in Aptos, is one of those businesses that recently sent out an appeal for help. “There’s nothing easy about this announcement, so we’re just going to come out & say it…our little shop is in trouble. This past…
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Scrooge Meets Shakespeare
From the story that gave us the expression “Bah, humbug!” and the character Scrooge—A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, a new holiday tradition will debut next week. Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Charles Pasternak has adapted Dickens’ beloved story and will direct the upcoming Santa Cruz Shakespeare production opening next week in the downtown Santa Cruz Veterans Hall. The story is well-known, well-loved, and will warm the hearts of audiences of every age. The ghost of Jacob Marley—greedy business partner of tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge—is condemned to an afterlife bound in chains. His midnight visit to Scrooge sets up a series of emotional episodes that will transform the cold-hearted Scrooge into…
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The Little Mermaid Jr.: A Tale of Curiosity, Longing and Acceptance
The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s ocean… or is it? This idea resonates deeply in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” a tale that explores the longing for a different life, the struggle to accept one’s circumstances and the pursuit of curiosity. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories, “The Little Mermaid Jr.” – as embodied onstage by Mount Madonna School’s (MMS) middle school cast – is an enchanting look at the sacrifices we all make for love and acceptance. Performances are Dec. 14 and 15 at 2pm at Mount Madonna School’s Hawks’ Nest Theater. Tickets on sale at mms-thelittlemermaid.brownpapertickets.com. Adult tickets are $20; seniors are…
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Tips for Supporting a Neurodivergent Child During the Holidays
For neurodivergent children, the holiday season can be challenging. This time of year is full of new experiences, new foods, new sounds, and new people. Simply put — for children who are neurodivergent, special needs or highly sensitive — new often equals hard. And when kids are having a hard time, parents are usually having a hard time as well. So how can parents keep the joy and fun of holiday activities and traditions while supporting their child? Here are four practical strategies for navigating the holiday season with a kid who needs some extra support. But first, let’s unpack why some children struggle with the holiday season. Why exactly…
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Local Woman Makes ‘Not So Neighborly’ Holiday Game
Courtney Laschkewitsch, a Santa Cruz local, is an innovative, brilliant product licensing coach and tabletop gamemaker. Her ongoing career allows her to make people’s dreams come true, and now, she is bringing one of her own dreams to life. A beautiful mix of strong family values, imagination, and love for the holidays has inspired Courtney to create an accessible, fun Christmas themed “Print & Play” tabletop game. Where are you from? What was your childhood like? Courtney Laschkewitsch: I grew up in La Selva Beach with my brother and parents. We were homeschooled for most of my education . My parents would revolve our interests around education. We were encouraged…
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Santa Cruz Gives Holiday Campaign 2024
As we embark on this year’s fundraiser for 63 local nonprofits, we can all be grateful that 2024 is the first year in quite a while without a community-wide crisis. While most years don’t have a pandemic, a flood, or a recession — for many of our neighbors, every year is a challenge. Some of the organizations who are participating in Santa Cruz Gives work to provide essentials such as food and shelter for the neediest. Others elevate the quality of life for all residents to provide what government and for-profit enterprises do not: programs that meet our aspirational hopes and dreams—for example, arts and education that are affordable. Other…
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Holiday Guide
Gift Ideas for Kids and Adults
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The Play’s The Thing
How is it the holidays already? Wasn’t it just summer? Isn’t it still summer? It sure feels like it. And aren’t things supposed to slow down in the winter? Not here and not for families. Thumbing through this issue there are a host of plays, musical performances and winter camps. It’s really amazing. It starts on our cover with Santa Cruz Shakespeare moving from summer to the holidays with one of the greatest family plays ever, A Christmas Carol. Sure, everyone’s seen the movie, but there is nothing like seeing the most skilled actors in the world perform it up close and personal. It’s something that will change a kid’s…
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Scrooge is Coming to Town
Santa Cruz Shakespeare (SCS), a nationally recognized professional repertory theatre company staging imaginative productions for more than a decade, debuts a new holiday tradition for the whole family with its production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Audiences can expect a theatrical and music-filled adaptation of this classic play. The production will run from November 23 through December 24, 2024, at the Veterans Memorial Hall at 846 Front St in Downtown Santa Cruz. “It is my sincere hope that we are creating a new holiday tradition for our community with A Christmas Carol — one you can share with your children and grandchildren,” said SCS Artistic Director, Charles Pasternak. The show will be…
