Local Student, 16, Gets His Shot on “The Voice” Being a Baseball Pitcher Helped Anthony Arya Stay Cool in Front of 10 Million Viewers. By Jordy Hyman Anthony Arya, a junior at Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School, said his battle round on the singing competition show “The Voice,” was “a whirlwind, a rollercoaster of emotion” when he was saved from elimination by a steal from coach Jennifer Hudson. “It felt so good that she believed in me enough to use one of her two steals on me, out of all the incredible artists in the battle, it was really an honor,” said Arya. “She’s an incredible singer so I was…
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Housing, Roads, Parks: Ballot Issues will Affect Local Families: County Scoop November 2018
Housing, Roads, Parks: Ballot Issues will Affect Local Families: County Scoop November 2018 By Zach Friend The November ballot will have a number of measures at the state and local level. Some of these measures will have elements that have a strong family focus. The most notable in the County are a bond measure for affordable housing and a sales tax for the unincorporated area that provides funding for parks among other priorities. Statewide, Proposition 6 is receiving the most attention. It’s a proposed repeal of SB 1 – adopted by the legislature to address the backlog of deferred road maintenance by increasing the gas tax and vehicle registration fees.…
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What are “Spacers”? Who Needs Them?
What are”Spacers”? Who NeedsThem?: Healthy Smiles November 2018 By Dr. Megan You might have heard of “spacers” when some parents talk about their children having a spacer in their mouth or the need for the spacers to be removed. Space maintainer, the more professional term, refer to appliances used to hold the space needed to maintain the form of the arch in mouth. In most cases when a baby tooth is extracted earlier than it is supposed to fall on its own, a space maintainer is recommended, but why? Believe it or not, teeth move! This is how braces work. Teeth movements including tilting, shifting or rotating would not be something…
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What Do You Want To Do With Your Life?
What Do You Want To Do With Your Life? Teens Face Life Decisions Earlier Than Ever By Suki Wessling This article is first in a three-part series on the college application experience for teens. This month: college applications don’t just come out of nowhere. How can teens start early determining what they might want to do in college and beyond? Being a teen is never easy, but perhaps the most exasperating thing teens experience is the assumption that they should know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Adults who work with teens say that now, more than ever, the pressure is on. “Part of me…
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Giving Thanks: Ask Nicole November 2018
Giving Thanks: Ask Nicole November 2018 By Nicole M. Young MSW I often start this monthly column with a true story about my experiences as a parent. Writing about my own parenting challenges is like giving myself free therapy. I relive memories of difficult situations, work through my emotions in a safe environment (my office, with a lot of coffee), find the humor in nearly every parenting struggle I’ve ever faced, then end up feeling proud that I’ve managed to figure things out and have ended up with two amazing kids. Now that’s something to be thankful for. This monthly column provides tips for anyone who is helping raise children,…
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Do Dogs and Bicycles Mix?
Do Dogs and Bicycles Mix? Here’s How to Run Your Dog Safely By Karen Kefauver It’s a painful truth of cycling, so let’s face it: Chances are good that at some point, you’re going to crash your bike. I certainly have. Most of the crashes have been my fault, like the time I was pedaling to yoga class and tried to make a phone call (stupid!) Another time, I was testing clipless pedals, a system in which cleated shoes snap securely onto specialized pedals. I couldn’t put my foot down fast enough and tipped over on the road. Ouch! Not all crashes are my fault and fortunately I’ve never caused…
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Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child
Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child By Jan Pierce There are many reasons for a child to fall a bit behind in one school subject or another. Maybe your family moved and the new school does things differently, or maybe your child is operating on a different developmental clock than the curriculum. Whatever the reason, being behind other learners is never a happy situation for your child. You may be able to do extra work at home to catch up, but often a tutor is the best way to help a child make great strides in learning. Hiring a tutor is a serious venture. You don’t want to risk…
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Howling at the Moon: Book Recommendations November 2018
Howling at the Moon: Book Recommendations November 2018 By Michelle Spence This November, the full moon—a Beaver Moon, named by the Algonquin Native American tribes—will officially occur at about 9:30 pm on Thanksgiving night. Even if the fog rolls in, you will likely notice the brighter-than-usual night sky during your evening walk. To get into the spirit of the full moon, here are some books to inspire howls from the whole family. Kitten’s First Full Moon By Kevin Henkes Reading this Caldecott Medal– winning picture book is the perfect way to discover the moon all over again. Remember chasing the moon down the street or peering at it through the…
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Tired of Watching your Kids Play Video Games?
Tired of Watching Your Kids Play Video Games? HERE’S HOW THEY CAN BUILD THEIR OWN. IT’S MORE FUN By Ricky Chavez Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, and Super Mario may all be titles that you’re familiar with, whether it’s kids, teens, or adults, the amount of people that these games have reached is baffling. Today you can’t go anywhere without seeing people doing one of the many popular dances from Fortnite. Everyone seems to be so hooked on so many of these games and many have enjoyed them so much that they’ve said to themselves, “I want to make a video game!” but where does someone even start? My name is Ricky…
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In Santa Cruz a Bar Mitzvah Isn’t Just a Party
In Santa Cruz a Bar Mitzvah Isn’t Just a Party It’s Giving Back, Repairing the World By Michelle Dennis People may be familiar with the idea of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah; the rite of passage for many Jewish teens symbolizing their maturation from childhood to adulthood. Although the word ‘mitzvah’ is more popularly used to mean a good deed, it actually means ‘commandment’. Photo by: Dan Ackerstein RIDE-A-WAVE Sae Ackerstein, 13, organized a team of 13 volunteers to help special needs children ride the waves. she also led three training sessions on kayak rescue and surf skills. Over 35 years ago, Temple Beth El began including a “Mitzvah Project”…
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Drive for Schools Raised $702,000 for Local Schools this Year
Drive for Schools Raised $702,000 for Local Schools this Year Drive for Schools, the largest school fundraiser in Santa Cruz County, raised $702,000 for local schools this year. Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Subaru of Santa Cruz and Toyota of Santa Cruz, Drive for Schools has raised over $6.1 million for Santa Cruz County schools since the program started in 2005. In addition to the significant money raised, 100 donated prizes were awarded to parents and community members who purchased tickets to support a school. This year’s Grand Prize winner, selected during a ticket drawing at the Boardwalk on October 28, was Hilario Gonzalez of Watsonville. The Gonzalez…
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Did You See “Thriller” on the Wharf?
Did You See “Thriller” on the Wharf? Hundreds of people showed up to see Santa Cruz zombies perform “Thriller” on the Santa Cruz Wharf Saturday. Even some dinosaurs showed up…no, not the SC old timers. Almost real dinosaurs. The whole thing was a blast and is part of the Wharf’s 13 days of Halloween. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6hBjWfl3Pw&feature=youtu.be
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Where is this in Santa Cruz? 9
Where is this in Santa Cruz? First one to answer in the comments section gets a free Growing Up in Santa Cruz hat.
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Want to Know how California Kids are Doing in 2018?
Want to Know how California Kids are Doing in 2018? Free report and seminar here: Join Children Now for a tour of the 2018-19 California Children’s Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being on October 30. The Scorecard helps inform local efforts to improve the lives of kids. It provides a snapshot of how children are faring in each of the 58 counties, over time, and by race and ethnicity. The free webinar will discuss trends in children’s health, early childhood, education, and child welfare, and opportunities to improve children’s outcomes. Sign up for the free seminar here: https://tinyurl.com/yce4qt33
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Editor’s Note: November 2018
Editor’s Note: November 2018 Dear Readers, The first time we took our 2-year- old to get a haircut was traumatic. He was sure the scissors would hurt, even though he was sitting next to his older brother, who was also getting his locks trimmed. Parker was having none of it. It was such a scream fest we had to take him out and forget about it until his hair got so long, we had no choice. We anticipated another miserable attempt. Then came the Hulk Hands. I bought them as a bribe, to give them to him after he got his hair- cut…but then it hit. Having him look at…
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New Baby Bottle Invention! News You Can Use
New Baby Bottle Invention! News You Can Use Frustrated with the time it took to give his baby bottled breast milk, an Israeli biochemist came up with a new invention that heats and cools milk twice as fash and, yes, looks like a mother’s breast. He now sells the product from South Carolina. Check this article in CNN here. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/25/success/nanobebe-startup-fresh-money/index.html
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Where is this in Santa Cruz 7
Where is this in Santa Cruz? First one to answer and give us a review of your experience in the comments section gets a free Growing Up in Santa Cruz baseball hat. Check Out the Answer to Yesterday’s Question HERE
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The Super Stoked Surf Mamas of Pleasure Point Catch a Wave with Filmmaker Elizabeth Pepin Silva
The Super Stoked Surf Mamas of Pleasure Point Catch a Wave with Filmmaker Elizabeth Pepin Silva By Suki Wessling When filmmaker Elizabeth Pepin Silva was young, she made the conscious choice to forego having children in part because of her passion for surfing. “I didn’t know of any women who had been pregnant and kept surfing,” remembers Silva. “I think if I had met the Mamas during my childbearing years I might have made a different choice.” When Katie Loggins learned she was pregnant the first time, she didn’t hesitate to get back on her board and keep surfing. “Ashley was already pregnant, and Jenny and I found out we…
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You Want to be What?: Halloween 2018 for Kids and Tweens
You Want to be What?: Halloween 2018 for Kids and Tweens By John Koenig It’s October, and Halloween decorations and costumes have already been in the stores for at least a month! Hopefully, preparing your young one for the Big Night will be an autumn breeze this year, but if you’re anticipating trouble in the form of indecision, expense, or culture clash, now is the time to prepare and resolve Halloween nightmares before they begin. Halloween can be one of the most fun times of the year for parents and young ones to share, but potential problems are numerous. Is the costume your kid has their heart set on a…
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Live Like Coco, Read Like Coco
Live Like Coco, Read Like Coco: Growing Program Gives 5,000 Books to Local Students By Linda Kissinger Thousands of local public school students will get a special gift to celebrate their birthdays this year: a free book of their choosing, courtesy of the Live Like Coco Foundation. The Birthday Books From Coco literacy program launched in 2015 in memory of Coco Lazenby, a 12-year- old Pajaro Valley School District (PVUSD) student who was killed in a car accident on August 8, 2015. The program has grown significantly since launching, and now includes 10 public schools in Santa Cruz, Soquel, Aptos and Watsonville, serving nearly 5,000 elementary school students. “It’s so…
