August 2018
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From the NFL to Soquel Dwight Lowery is Inspiring Soquel High Players
From the NFL to Soquel Dwight Lowery is Inspiring Soquel High Players By Bryce Stoepfel In Soquel Knights Head Coach Dwight Lowery’s office, two things may give a clue to his approach to coaching, after nine years playing safety in the National Football League. An Xbox, and a dry erase board bearing the names of 20 players ineligible to play. It’s a carrot and stick approach. There are consequences to not keeping up with grades, but, there’s also a place to relax, to laugh, and to learn about life and football. For Lowery, coming back to Soquel was his way of using what he knows, football and training, to give…
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We Asked, You Answered August 2018
We Asked, You Answered! August 2018 By Ann Carin Niland Do you let your children play with a tablet or smartphone, and do you have any concerns about the effects that those devices have on your children? Linnaea Boone Wilson, who’s daughter is 3, lives in Santa Cruz “Sometimes we’ll watch some screen time. When she’s sick we’ve been watching ‘My Neighbor Totoro’. We recently went up to visit my in-laws in Humboldt, and on the car ride we watched a little bit on the computer. And sometimes if she has questions about something like ‘what’s a carousel?’ we’ll look it up together. But I don’t let her play on…
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Editor’s Note August 2018
Editor’s Note August 2018 Dear Readers, Who knew that sharing a spoon with your infant could lead to lifelong dental problems? Not me. I assumed that we share the same DNA and nature would have more to do with their infant teeth than nurture. Not so, says our new pediatric dental columnist, Dr. Mojdeh Faraz. Infants are born without our bacteria in their mouths and sharing a spoonful of something can put harmful sugar bugs there. That turned into a big problem for our 2-year-old and was a lesson I wished I’d already learned. That’s our goal with this monthly magazine. We want to tell you about things you may…
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Many Iconic Rides Built by Former Local Company: Always Amused 2018
Many Iconic Rides Built by Former Local Company Always Amused August 2018 By Erik Chalhoub The trains for the Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk were manufactured by Morgan Manufacturing in 1984. By Erik Chalhoub Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Quicksilver Express at Gilroy Gardens, and Grizzly at California’s Great America are staples at their respective parks. But you might not know that all three roller coasters are tied together by a local connection. That is D.H. Morgan Manufacturing, a company founded by Dana Morgan in Scotts Valley in 1983 that eventually moved its operations to San Andreas Road in La Selva Beach in 1991,…
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Do Baby Teeth Matter At All?: Healthy Smiles August 2018
Do Baby Teeth Matter At All? Healthy Smiles August 2018 By Dr. Megan We are constantly encountered with questions from parents asking whether it is important to maintain baby teeth. After all, kids lose them, right? Through my years of experience working with children, I have seen a variety of reactions from children as they step into the clinic. Some are very cheerful, excited and can’t wait to jump on the chair, and some other…not so excited! Children are not all the same. We all know twins with different characters, personalities and coping skills. If it takes a little longer for one child to get himself or herself adjusted to…
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Let Your Children Know You Love Them Every Day at Lunch
Let Your Children Know You Love Them Every Day at Lunch Aptos Mother Creates Award-Winning Lunch Notes Series By Brad Kava When Patty Benson was growing up, she felt out of place in school. She was a Tom Boy and didn’t feel like she fit in with the girls in her elementary school. She was the only girl on her school’s football team. But every day at lunch, she got a treat from her mother–a special hand-written note celebrating some aspect of their lives together. They were funny, loving, endearing and they made her day. “I felt someone was thinking of me and it made going to school so much…
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Cabrillo Before Graduation
College Before Graduation Cabrillo Offers Local High School Students an Alternative By Suki Wessling Probably the most important thing happening to high school education these days is seldom acknowledged in the wider discussions of k-12 education: students are benefiting from an increasing number of alternatives to attending comprehensive high schools. Some students are homeschooling. Some students attend alternative schools. Some students attend specialized magnet schools. And many of them have the option of attending college at the same time. “It’s a safe way for students to have the college experience,” explains Meghan Brightwater, Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator at Cabrillo. “They have access to all our resources and they’re getting support…
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Preparing Your Child for Transitions Ask Nicole August 2018
Preparing Your Child for Transitions: Ask Nicole August 2018 By Nicole M. Young, MSW My oldest child is getting ready for the biggest transition of his life. He’s leaving for college soon, and I couldn’t be more sad. I mean, proud. And sad. Half of my heart is bursting with excitement for him. He worked hard, did well in school, and is a kind, funny, thoughtful (but still tardy) young man. The other half of my heart breaks when I think about his empty room. I know we will always be a family, and yet I also know things will change once he leaves home, and that my daughter is…
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Secrets of a Driving Instructor
Secrets of a Driving Instructor A Lesson in Teaching from a Pro By Ann Carin Nilland Getting a drivers license is one of the biggest, and sometimes the most casually acquired, responsibilities that a young adult can take on. As a parent/guardian, the feelings you experience when your child becomes a student driver can be similar to when they were born. It’s exciting, terrifying. and stressful. There is a new financial responsibility, and it is life altering. I’ve been a driving instructor for nearly two years. It’s a funny job, and I like it very much. When you find yourselves teaching your student driver something complex and dangerous, but at…
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Amnesty Hour
Amnesty Hour By Chris Jackson As a parent, you’re like a spy. You need to gather intel on your kids. With good intel, you can make the right adjustments to keep them safe. The best way to get this intel is to get it right from them during what I call, “Amnesty Hour.” During Amnesty Hour, your kids can confess anything without fear of punishment. More importantly, they can tell you anything without fear of being lectured or seeing you disappointed in them. You see, one of the main reasons kids keep the truth from us is that they treasure our love and approval. They don’t want to lose it.…
