February 2022 - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

The Year of New Rides

growingupsc — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 17:15:09 +0000

New Ride in Monterey Leads 2022 Offerings By Erik Chalhoub 2020, as we all know, was an awful year. 2021 was mediocre for theme parks, but still better than the previous year. But 2022? We’re in for quite a treat. Between the new rides, returning events and a (hopefully) well-vaccinated state, there is a lot to look forward to as theme park junkies. Locally, the biggest surprise announcement in our region in years dropped recently, and I couldn’t be more excited. Are you a fan of the fantastical world of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Haunted Castle, and love the thrill of chasing the high score in Justice League: Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags Magic Mountain? Well, you’re going to want to head to Monterey later this year when Treasure Hunt: The Ride debuts on Cannery Row. Famed “dark ride” manufacturer Sally Dark Rides is joining forces with Paso Robles-based fabrication experts Daniels Wood Land to bring a pirate-themed dark ride to Monterey. The two companies made the out-of-nowhere reveal at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions’ annual expo in Florida in mid-November. Located near the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the ride will feature hand-crafted set pieces, animatronics and special effects blended with interactive media. Sally Dark Rides designed the Haunted Castle, Justice League and numerous other rides across the world. Daniels Wood Land, meanwhile, was heavily involved in the Boardwalk’s new main entrance in 2017, fabricating and installing pieces such as the entry sign, and the exteriors of Fright Walk and The Vault. Treasure Hunt is scheduled to open in 2022 at 700 Cannery Row, squeezed into an 8,145-square-foot area, which includes the queue and maintenance areas. Six four-passenger vehicles will traverse a track, which is expected to take about four-and-a-half minutes. A six-minute pre-show is also planned. Sally Dark Rides provided this description of the ride’s story: “Visitors of Monterey Bay are invited to explore a newly discovered system of caverns located beneath Cannery Row. Legend has it, these caverns were once a hideout, where infamous Pirate Captain Hippolyte Bouchard and his crew of scallywags hid their treasure. “During the exploration, riders will be provided ‘Cavern Car’ vehicles and ‘Treasure Collector’ interactive devices that will help them traverse the terrain down in the subterranean tunnels. While riders keep their eyes peeled for treasure, they must also defend themselves against danger. Everything from the rising tide, sea monsters and a fearsome skeleton crew will head their travels as they hunt for hidden treasure.” What else is on tap for 2022? Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will at last debut its new family coaster in 2022. First announced in 2019, but delayed due to the pandemic in 2020, Sidewinder Safari is a spinning wild mouse-type coaster that will feature live rattlesnakes and other reptiles in its queue. The coaster’s vehicles sit four riders, who will twist their way through hairpin curves and rapid drops over 1,378 feet of track. Six Flags Magic Mountain is currently constructing Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage, a new coaster for 2022. The single-rail coaster is manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the same team behind Railblazer at California’s Great America. The ride is similar to the Santa Clara park’s newest coaster, but comes in taller (131 feet), faster (58 mph) and longer (3,300 feet) than its Northern California cousin. Magic Mountain had to remove two of its rides to make it fit (Green Lantern and Tidal Wave), but it seems their sacrifice will be well worth it. Save the Dates: Clam Chowder Cook-Off: The 41st annual event returns to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Feb. 26-27. Amateur Chefs will face off on Feb. 26, followed by Professional Chefs on Feb. 27. Both days feature Boston and Manhattan Clam Chowder, and attendees can help pick a winner each day. Tasting kit proceeds benefit Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation. For information, visit beachboardwalk.com/Clam-Chowder-Cook-Off. Read More Parenting Articles

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Tips on Saving Water

growingupsc — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 17:07:37 +0000

2 Tips for Saving (Lots of) Water Here in California, we’re facing water shortages and severe drought. Local municipalities now have strict water restrictions and neighbors are “drought shaming“, i.e. reporting others’ misuse of water (washing cars, sprinkling lawns). Consumers are even going after commercial growers who export crops like almonds to foreign countries or bottled water companies (like Nestle) for selling our precious water reserves for profits. So what can you do? Tip #1: Set up a water catchment system to collect 1000s of gallons of rainwater I didn’t realize I could capture almost 8,000 gallons of water from just one storm until we tested out our new rain catchment systems in 2012. Surprisingly, the entire 5,000-gallon tank filled up in just one night! Nine years ago, we installed a 4,999-gallon tank (a 5,000-gallon tank requires a building permit!) to collect rainwater from the road above our house. It was simple to do! We laid gravel on a 10-foot by 10-foot pad and Scotts Valley Sprinkler and Pipe Supply delivered it exactly where we wanted it to be. We diverted the existing drainage pipes to pour into the top of our tank and hooked the tank up to our drip irrigation system for our fruit tree orchard. Thrilled by our ability to capture so much water in just one night, we bought 10 IBC tanks that each hold 275 gallons of water. We lined all 10 IBC tanks up behind our house and connected them together with a 2″ PVC pipe. Then we diverted one of the rain gutters from our rooftop to pour directly into one of the IBC tanks. Again, with just one storm, all 10 IBC tanks filled in just one night! A few years later, we added 8 more IBC tanks on the other side of our house so we could capture almost all of the rain that hits our roof. We water our entire fruit orchard with these water-capture systems every summer. It’s reassuring to know that if we are ever without water, we could always chlorinate these tanks and have drinking water. Peace of mind… Tip #2: Reuse water from your sinks and showers Our water tables are low and farmers have pumped so much water that land masses are buckling and surface patches are sinking. So what can you do? Use the water from your tap TWICE before it goes down the drain. Here are 2 easy ways to save between 3-6 gallons of water per person each day. Sinks:Capture the water you run while you’re waiting for the warm water in your tap. In your bathroom, place a plastic tub or bucket under your faucet to catch the water as you brush your teeth and wash your face. In the kitchen, place a pitcher or bucket to catch the water while you wash veggies or rinse dishes. When the buckets fill up, water plants or fill up buckets in the bathroom to flush toilets later. Showers:Fill up buckets as you wait for the hot water before showering. Depending on where your hot water heater is located, you may waste 1-2 gallons of water before the water is warm enough to step into your shower. Then, as you shower, place a bucket in front of you and one behind you to capture water as you wash your hair. With my long hair, I can fill up 3 buckets of water just to wash my hair! When I’m done with my shower, I use these buckets to flush the toilet all day and night. I don’t use any domestic water to flush the toilet! You can buy 1-gallon buckets at a dollar store and create this water-saving system for under $10. So lather up and capture your water. You’ll reduce the water you use and possibly prevent $500 water fines! Check out this video to see how you could benefit from these DIY water catchment plan. Set up your own bathroom and rooftop water systems. Read More Green Living Articles

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Oral Health During Pregnancy

growingupsc — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 16:53:59 +0000

Dental Care During Pregnancy Good for Pregnant Parent and Good for Baby by Dr. Sepideh Taghvaei, Chief Dental Officer and Co-Chair of Oral Health Access Santa Cruz February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Usually, promotion is focused on children’s dental health. This article will instead focus on the dental health of the pregnant parent. But why? The pregnant parent is the most common source of transmission of cavity causing bacteria to their infants. A decision to keep the mouth of the pregnant parent healthy and treat cavities (decay) is also a decision to help protect your baby’s oral health. Going to the dentist and even getting dental x-rays is safe during any trimester. Good oral health is important for everyone throughout the lifespan. Good oral health supports good nutrition, good speech development, a healthy heart, and even good confidence. For the pregnant parent, good oral health has even more important benefits. Pregnancy and behaviors associated with pregnancy can lead to increased risks for cavities and other oral health challenges. Morning sickness can promote erosion of tooth enamel due to exposure to stomach acid, which can make the tooth more vulnerable to developing cavities. Cravings for sweets during pregnancy can increase consumption of cavity promoting sugary foods and drink. After a baby is born, the new parent may miss regular teeth brushing at home due to fatigue or distraction. Some of the less obvious changes during pregnancy occur in the mouth of the pregnant parent. The hormonal changes caused by the pregnancy make the gums of the pregnant parent more prone to gingivitis (gum disease). If gingivitis progresses, it can turn into periodontitis (very advanced gum disease), which left untreated can ultimately lead to tooth loss and bone loss in the jaw. Both conditions are also associated with elevated levels of cavity causing oral bacteria (streptococcus mutans), which has been associated with pre-term labor and low birthweight outcomes. Additionally, when the pregnant parent carries a higher oral bacterial load, they are more likely to transfer cavity causing bacteria to their baby through regular parenting behaviors, such as kissing, sharing spoons, and licking pacifiers clean. Share the love, not the bacteria! If you have pregnancy Medi-Cal, you have dental coverage for most procedures including exams, cleanings, fillings, and more. Check with your private dental insurance for covered dental services. If you do not have dental insurance, ask the dental office for discounted rates or sliding scale payment options. You do not need a referral from your obstetrician to see a dentist, but some dentists may still ask for one. Here are the easy ways to maintain and support good oral health before, during and after pregnancy: Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste 2 times a day for 2 minutes and floss daily. Make a habit of visiting your dentist twice (2x) a year for dental cleanings. Visit the dentist during your pregnancy. (Let the receptionist know you are pregnant, and you may get a timelier appointment.) Eat a well-balanced diet. Limit cavity causing sugary foods and drinks. Rinse your mouth after experiencing morning sickness. Care, Don’t Share: have separate eating utensils for you and baby and use a clean cloth to wipe off the pacifier. Take your baby to the dentist for their 1st Tooth or 1st Support February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month by taking the whole family to the dentist, especially if you or your loved one is pregnant. Everyone Deserves a Healthy Smile! If you need help finding an affordable dentist and have Medi-Cal Insurance, visit smilecalifornia.org or call the Medi-Cal Dental program at 1-800-322-6384. For local low-cost dental clinics that accept Medi-Cal Dental and have a sliding-scale call Dientes Community Dental at 831-464-5409/ (dientes.org) or Salud Para La Gente at 831-728-0222/ (splg.org). If you have private health insurance, ask your carrier if you have dental benefits or how to get them. Read More Parenting Articles

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February Open Houses

growingupsc — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 18:28:04 +0000

Gateway School K-8TUE & WED | FEB 1 & 2 | 9AM – 12PM SAT| FEB 5 | 10am – 1pmTUE & WED | MAR 1 & 2 | 9AM – 12PM 255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz(831) 423-0341 | admissions@gatewaysc.orgVisit www.gatewaysc.org and schedule a tour to experience all that Gateway has to offer! Spring Hill SchoolTHUR | FEB 10 & 24 | 6 PM250 California Street, Santa Cruzspringhillschool.org/open-house-calendarJoin Spring Hill School for an interactive, virtual open house event! You will have the opportunity to meet teachers, ask questions, and experience our approach to education. To attend, register online through our website. Mount Madonna SchoolFRI | Feb 11 | 10:30AM-12:30PM491 Summit Road, Watsonville(408) 847-2717 | admissions@mountmadonnaschool.orgCome for a campus tour, meet our students, teachers and head of school, and learn about Mount Madonna’s approach to education. Guests are invited to stay for a performance of Beauty and the Beast. Santa Cruz Montessori Educationsat | Feb 12 | 10:00AM-12:00PM6230 Soquel Dr., Aptos(831) 476-1646 | scms.orgFor parents and children (ages 18 months – 11 years)Come see our beautiful campus and classrooms, meet our teachers, and learn about our program.

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Solar vs Big energy

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 21:41:54 +0000

Is California Attacking Local Solar Customers? by Casey Beyer, CEO, Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce For more than two decades, California solar energy companies, installers and customers have benefited from an incentive program known as Net Metering. What is Net Metering? It is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on their roof, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is net-metered, the electricity meter will run backward to provide a credit against what electricity is consumed at night or other periods when the home’s electricity use exceeds the system’s output. Customers are only billed for their “net” energy use. On average, only 20-40% of a solar energy system’s output ever goes into the grid, and this exported solar electricity serves nearby customers’ loads. But the billing system is about to change if the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) makes the shift to reduce the credit benefits from the customer back to the utility provider. CPUC wants to slash payments for rooftop solar power, saying the changes would help the state achieve 100% clean energy while keeping the lights on, preventing electricity rates from rising and encouraging people to install batteries. However, solar executives are fighting back and are furious with the changes, saying they would backfire and curtail a thriving industry. And the hot debate that has been brewing for more than a year plus is on the precepts of this change. The proposal from Martha Guzman Aceves, one of five members of the California Public Utilities Commission, would revamp an incentive program called “net energy metering” that has helped the state become a national solar power leader with more than 1.3 million rooftop and other small-scale systems installed. Solar industry and climate change advocacy groups are lobbying Gov. Gavin Newsom and his appointees on the utilities commission to keep the program’s basic tenets unchanged. As always there are two sides to the policy discussion. Let’s break them out for you. According to Commissioner Guzman Aceves, “Net metering needs to evolve to reflect California’s changing energy needs. The Golden State’s power grid is increasingly flooded by solar energy during the afternoon but strained on hot summer evenings when millions of people throttle up their air conditioners to cope with high temperatures made worse by the climate crisis.” Her idea is by reducing demand for fossil fuels during net peak periods in the evening, it reduces carbon emission – her primary goal. She and her staff crafted a plan to phase out net metering that will encourage new and existing solar customers to add battery storage systems that can bank clean energy for after dark, she said. Among other provisions, a new “storage evolution fund” would offer payments for homes that already have solar panels to add storage. Other elements of the commissioner’s proposal would prompt Californians to switch from gasoline to electric vehicles, and from natural gas furnaces and stoves to electric appliances fueled by solar and wind energy, Guzman Aceves said — key pieces of California’s war on climate change. For instance, homes and businesses that add solar panels would be allowed to build much bigger systems than are currently allowed under net metering, to support lifestyles that are increasingly powered by electricity. Guzman Aceves’ proposed decision, which was released Monday, endorses the argument made by the state’s largest investor-owned utility companies — Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and Sempra Energy — that net metering subsidizes richer households that can afford rooftop solar at the expense of lower-income households that can’t. Those big utilities are pushing the policy change. They argue that since rooftop solar arrays are mostly owned by upper-income Californians, the current policy, in effect, gives them a subsidy, of as much as $3.4 billion a year, from the pockets of less affluent ratepayers. They also contend that since owners of solar panels use the grid, they should pay something to maintain it, hence the $57 monthly fee. The companies that install personal solar systems counter that the new policy proposal would make them less affordable to middle- and low-income homeowners. They and their environmental allies also contend that changing the rules would have the overall effect of reducing solar generation and thus hamstring California’s efforts to wean itself from carbon-based energy. Both sides have waged public relations and media campaigns to sell their messages, but so far, with the release of the draft, the utility-led faction is prevailing, which is not surprising given the CPUC’s historic slant. According to Abigail Ross Hopper, the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association: “Only the wealthiest Californians will be able to afford rooftop solar, shutting out schools, small businesses, and the average family from our clean energy future.” “The only winners today are the utilities, which will make more profits at the expense of their ratepayers. We urge Governor Newsom to act quickly to change this decision — at risk are 65,000 solar jobs, the security of our electricity grid, and the health of California residents and our planet.” Let’s get a local perspective from our solar companies in the region. Scott Laskey of Sandbar Solar states: “It’s devastating to see this proposed ruling against independently owned residential rooftop solar and storage from the CPUC. Now it’s really an opportunity for us to see where our State leadership stands on this issue. They have the voices and input to the Governor who will determine the outcome of this proposed decision. Are they for the big utilities and their monopolistic energy delivery strategy, or in favor of a local distributed energy grid that provides resiliency and renewable energy within reach of everybody? The decision can either move California’s renewable goals and job economy forward or result in tremendous local job losses and making independently owned solar and storage cost-prohibitive.” James Allen of Allterra Solar also offered his comments: “If the current proposed decision for NEM-3 holds, solar installation companies like Allterra will be in a very tough place. Homeowners and businesses would be penalized for adding solar with monthly fees and lower credits, which makes no sense at all considering the race to fight climate change. We are working with our industry allies, elected officials, and the community to pressure the CPUC to modify the proposed decision to make it more solar friendly. There is a small window between now and the end of January to help protect the future of clean energy in California.” An ironic twist happened this week as well. Commissioner Guzman Aceves was just appointed by the Biden Administration as the director of EPA Region 9 starting next week. She won’t be a commissioner when this decision comes before the CPUC commission. Adding more fuel to the debate, the full CPUC is expected to vote early next year, but the battle is not over and it now shifts to Governor Newsom, who appoints its members. He’s already nominated a new chairperson, Alice Reynolds, who is now his energy advisor and will take the new position before a final vote on the policy. Politically, therefore, it is very clear that the revised Net Meter policy will only be adopted if Newsom wants it to be adopted. Setting aside the major interest groups in the conflict, it involves two sub-factions that have close ties to the governor — unions and environmentalists — although the latter are also divided into pro and con camps. My bet is on the solar companies and their customers. If you are concerned about the future of California’s solar industry, I encourage you to comment on the proposal and view documents related to the issue here: https://calssa.org/ Read More Parenting Articles

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Girl Scout Cookies

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 21:20:51 +0000

Sweetest Time of Year By steve Dinnen It’s cookie time again! Girl Scouts have just now launched their 2022 campaign to blanket America with Thin Mints and S’Mores. This year’s crop sees a new addition, the Adventureful, described as a brownie-inspired treat that features a caramel-flavored crème and a dash of sea salt. “I was a Girl Scout for nine years, and this is the one I’m going for,” said Eileen Ringwald. She’s director of marketing for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast, which supports the nearly 400 girls in Santa Cruz County who belong to local troops. Ringwald said you won’t have to look far for your fill of cookies. The girls have a multi-pronged marketing attack planned – running lemonade stands, staffing booths, and doing what they call walkabouts in neighborhoods. You’re also likely to encounter them in front of grocery stores. News reports have advised us that supply chain issues may impact the availability of the Adventureful. There’s a way to find out – ask for a box. Ringwald said the sale ends March 13. Read More Parenting Articles

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Coloring Winners Jan

growingupsc — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:37:07 +0000

Arabella Cece Niklas | Age 9 Ryan | Age 5 Find More Coloring Pages

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The Voice Saver 3000

growingupsc — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:34:01 +0000

Tooth Fairy

growingupsc — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:29:48 +0000

Tooth Fairy Submit your coloring page for a chance to be in our paper Editor@growingupsc.com More Coloring Pages

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Valentine Picks

growingupsc — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:22:27 +0000