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 alongside electedofficials, serving as an elected official myself, and collaborating with nonprofit and community organizations – I am committed to the growth, success, and vitality of our local businesses and our community. For over 130 years, the Chamber has been a driving force in advocating for businesses, fostering economic growth, and strengthening community connections. As we look to the future, my vision is to build on this legacy by expanding our membership, deepening our engagement…
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Panda Inn Undergoes Transformations Under New Management
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 features house-made flavors and Szechuan spices that perfectly balance sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. The all-new menu, to be released this month, includes vegetarian and gluten-free options.Now open daily from 11:30 AM to 9 PM (except Tuesdays), Panda Inn has streamlined its once-extensive 100+ dish menu to a refined selection of 50 items. Owner Yana Smith, a seasoned restaurant manager with over a decade of experience in Ashland, Oregon, purchased the joint in September last…
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Things Teens Can Do This Summer to Boost Earning Potential
Believe it or not, summer break is right around the corner. Many teens already have a very simple plan: sleep in, hang out with friends, and stay up late. If you have a teen who wants to do more this summer, these three fun activities can boost their skills—and their future paycheck! Learn a foreign language We live in a global society. Whether they want to work in sales, machinery, medicine, or anything in between, someone in the industry is going to be translating between people who speak different languages. That someone is going to make quite a bit of money! While the exact numbers on the bump in pay…
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What’s Good and Healthy on the School Menu?
Some of the meals they serve us at Live Oak Elementary School, where I’m a fourth-grader, are kind of simple, like bagels with cream cheese, which they serve us almost every day, sometimes with apples (like in the picture below). My favorite foods at school all start with the letter “P.” I like the pizza, of course, because pizza is my favorite food, and the pizza at Live Oak is pretty good quality and has enough cheese. I also like the pesto pasta, especially the pesto part; I used to make pesto at home when I was eight with basil I picked in our garden, olive oil and parmesan cheese,…
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From Hand-Held to Hangouts: Growing Up Downtown Santa Cruz
Downtown Santa Cruz is more than just a place; it’s a living, breathing chronicle of childhood memories, a rite of passage, and a path toward blossoming independence. For generations, local kids have watched it transform alongside them, from a magical urban wonderland guided by parental hands to a familiar, self-navigated terrain. The Enchanted Early Years: For many Santa Cruz children, downtown’s magic begins with the simple pleasures. A trip to Bookshop Santa Cruz to read books and sit on the rocking horse. The aroma of popcorn and the flicker of the movie screen at Santa Cruz Cinema or the Del Mar create lasting impressions. And of course, no downtown visit…
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Kids Will Like Cauliflower’s Cousin Romanesco
With its lime-green color, and quirky and cone-shaped florets, a head of Romanesco could have been picked from Dr. Seuss’ back yard. Beyond the surface beauty it’s a versatile veggie packed with flavor and nutrition. A cousin of cauliflower, Romanesco’s mild, nutty taste is as delicious raw served with dip as it is roasted to and topped with kid-friendly seasonings. Plus, it’s loaded with vitamins, fiber, and all the good-for-you nutrients that make seasonal eating a win-win. If the first thing that pops up is “my kid will never eat that”, local nutritionist Rebecca Hazelton shares some simple tips to get your picky eater on board. “First, remember that you’re…
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Human Capital and Human Capability
When I was just starting out as a teacher, I asked the founders of our small mountaintop school why they started the school to begin with. They said that in the early seventies, there were very few public schools in the area that served the local population in rural south Santa Cruz County, and they firmly believed that everyone deserved a good education. I actually got many different answers to “why are we here,” but the simplicity of this one stuck with me. We all deserve a good education. Later on in my career, after I had done a few things that attracted some attention, I was hired as a…
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Volunteer to Bring Joy to Animals and Fill Your Heart
One of the most rewarding experiences in my life has been to volunteer with the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. I started volunteering when my beloved 16-year old chow-shepherd rescue passed away and my husband was not yet ready to adopt another dog. I was longing for the company of dogs again, and there was the Shelter, ready with all kinds of mixed mutts and pure breeds! Being an open door Shelter, many different types of dogs are surrendered or found lost/stray, some even confiscated from cases of neglect and abuse. But they were all adorable and needing lots of love, and I was ready to oblige (and even adopted…
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Local Concerns: School Layoffs and Billions on a Train
There are so many things to be concerned about this spring. Here are some in no special order. How will the Pajaro Valley School District handle the stress of cutting $5 million from the annual budget, as parents and students fear losing teachers and classes. The district is the area’s largest at 27,000 students and it’s a prognosticator of what will happen to other area districts, as state and federal budgets are cut and the county has become so unaffordable that districts are losing students (600 in PVUSD). Not to mention the numbers of students they will be losing as the current administration has made immigrants the enemy. Parents are…
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Chores: a Key to a Successful, Happy Life
When my daughter was no longer a high schooler in my house and was now managing most aspects of her life as a college student, she said one day, “I’ve realized adulting is an endless cycle of doing the dishes.” Yeah, it’s kinda like that. Life holds in store for us endless tasks that, although monotonous, are part of the recipe for living an organized, well-managed adult life, which makes space for achievements to happen. A satisfying, happy life will soon follow those achievements. Harvard researchers have conducted a multigenerational, 85-year longitudinal study, (and counting) focusing on the mindset and habits of high achievers. The study reports a high correlation…
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Little Changes, Lasting Impact
April is the Month of the Young Child and Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is a good opportunity to remind ourselves that 1) raising happy, healthy children is both exhausting and rewarding, 2) every parent struggles, feels unprepared, or worries they’ve failed at parenting at some point, and 3) everyone in the community can play a role in making sure children and families have the resources and support needed to thrive. This monthly article provides tips for families raising children, based on the world-renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, available to families in Santa Cruz County. If you have a question or idea for a future column, please email…
