When my 5-year-old son gouged his head on a park bench, we sat outside Dominican Hospital’s emergency room for four hours waiting to be treated. I’m not complaining. I understand things take time and there were higher priorities than a face that needed seven stitches. But as I waited, I would have paid anything to jump ahead of the line. I think of that when I see that the struggling Watsonville Hospital is asking for a $116 million bond measure to keep its emergency room and bring its services to the highest level possible. The money will come from South County homeowners at a rate of $24 a year for…
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It Is Not Just a Housing Project. It Is a CommUNITY!
Growing up in the housing projects in NYC shaped the very essence of my being. While there were physical barriers present, they were not the focal points of my upbringing. Instead, the essence of my community was rooted in the resilience and unity of its people, transcending the limitations imposed by external circumstances. In the narrative often associated with housing projects, the emphasis tends to be on the seeming challenges—tall buildings, economic disparities, and various barriers that seemingly dictate the destiny of those who call these places home. However, my story diverges from this narrative. It is a tale of a thriving community, where the focus was not on how…
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Expressing Love Through Quality Time
I loved celebrating Valentine’s Day as a child. My favorite memory is of the Valentine’s “mailbox” that appeared every February. It was a big box that my mom decorated with colorful paper, hearts and lace, with a large slot in the lid. My siblings and I loved “mailing” our cards to each other and trying to guess what was inside the box. Even though we knew it contained cards and candy, the anticipation and curiosity made the Valentine’s celebration feel special. Before I had kids, I vowed to create a Valentine’s mailbox and holiday rituals that would make my own kids feel that special. However, once I became an exhausted…
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Celebrating Detective Teamwork with Laurie King
Fans of the Russell & Holmes series will gather at the downtown MAH for a celebration of 30 years of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (the first in the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series with a huge YA and adult community of admirers all over) on Feb. 17. This event in Laurie R. King’s hometown commemorates this charismatic Russell & Holmes partnership, but also the publication of The Lantern’s Dance, the latest King book featuring the intrepid mystery-solving duo. In her latest Russell & Holmes adventure, King explores the 100-year-old puzzle of Sherlock Holmes’ ancestry. Don’t miss the Bookshop Santa Cruz launch of The Lantern’s Dance at 7pm on Feb. 16.…
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Joaquin Is a Warrior And So Are His Fans
Joaquin Aluffi was just shy of his fifth birthday when he had a major allergic reaction playing in the grass. His lungs shut down and his throat swelled and he was rushed to the emergency room. After doing tests and finding hugely high protein counts later at Stanford, doctors found he had Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, a terminal disease with a life expectancy of 16-24 years old. A happy, sports-minded, adventurous kid, Joaquin began to be robbed by the disease of his ability to walk and ride a bike. Over time for its victims, the disease strips their ability to smile or wave a hand. But it hasn’t robbed him of…
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Implementing Routines Improves Family Harmony
Imagine your children leaving for school in the morning and getting ready for bed at night without needless hassles. Imagine your children showing you what they need to do each day and taking the steps involved without the need for constant reminders. The good news is that when adults and children work cooperatively together to establish and implement routines, they experience a greater sense of harmony and ease. Having routines provides many benefits: • improves children’s sense of connection, security/safety, and trust • eases transitions • develops time management skills • fosters teamwork and a sense of community • builds capability, responsibility, and creativity • encourages goal setting/achievement • creates…
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The Times They Are a Changin’
The thing about “the times” is that they’re always changing. It’s their nature. I want it to be my nature too. I want to be the kind of grandmother who adapts to new ideas. Not the old person in the room complaining how everything has changed or rejecting out of hand anything that isn’t done the way it used to be done. Why? Because I believe a lot of things have changed for the better, but mostly because I want to embrace the things that my children and grandchildren are embracing, so that I can truly be a part of their lives and have deep connections with them. It’s harder…
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Buchanan Turns Childhood Passion Into Full Time Profession
Santa Cruz painter Noah Buchanan began his studies in classical drawing, painting and anatomy at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. After taking a BFA from UCSC, he received a Masters of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art. Buchanan lives in Santa Cruz and teaches painting and drawing at several colleges and universities in the Bay Area. And his paintings are featured in private and public collections in the US and Europe. Q: How you decided that painting was the career for you? NB: I enjoyed drawing since I was very young, it was always my primary source of entertainment as a child. I…
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Providing Healthy Smiles for Children
February is Children’s Dental Health Month and the perfect opportunity to write to you, amazing parents, about why your kids’ oral health matters and how to ensure healthy smiles for your children. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions that we get: Why do baby teeth matter? Don’t they just fall out? Baby teeth matter because kids need healthy teeth to chew, smile, talk, and have good self-confidence. Cavities in baby teeth can cause pain and infection, lead to missed school days, inability to pay attention in school, poor self-esteem, difficulty eating and many more problems. Also, baby teeth save the space for permanent teeth so it’s important to…
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Santa Cruz Symphony Offers Family Concert
Here’s a concert that will please the entire family, and inspire young audiences toward future musical experiences. The delightful and humorous musical creation, Carnival of the Animals by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns will take families and young music lovers on a tour through a variety of animal behavior in the form of four short movements. Plenty of imaginative parody of the animal kingdom is showcased in a masterpiece originally written in 1886, but not performed in public until 1922, a year after the composer’s death. Many believe that the Carnival of the Animals, which highlights stringed instruments, gave inspiration to the John Williams score for the Harry Potter films. This…
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Why Grades May Not Reflect Academic Skills
Many parents mistakenly believe their children are functioning at or above grade level for several reasons. Grades Reflect More Than Just Academic Performance: Class grades are not solely based on academic abilities. They often include factors like attendance, class participation, homework completion, behavior, quizzes, and tests. This means that a student can earn good grades even if they haven’t mastered the actual material. Grade Improvement Opportunities: Many teachers provide opportunities for students to improve their grades through late homework submissions, extra credit assignments, retaking quizzes or tests, and doing test corrections. This practice can inflate a student’s final grade, making it seem like they are performing better academically than they…
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Embracing Self-Love and Acts of Kindness
February is known as the month of love, yet it’s not just about romantic love – it is a great time to make space for self-love and spread it to those around you. This month is a great time to reflect on our relationships, especially the one with ourselves. The more love we have inside, the more we can radiate that love with the world around us. Self-love is the foundation of a healthy mind, body and soul. It is about appreciating who you are and embracing all parts of you. Self-love is also about taking care of yourself and your well-being through self-care. When we can remember that self-care…
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Cool Clothes Seen on the Streets and in Schools
In downtown Santa Cruz, we talked to the most stylish people on the street. From linens closing out summer, to pinstripes making an early fall appearance, classic trends have taken over Front Street. Let’s take a look at the self-expression the Santa Cruz residents choose to communicate through their personal styles. My name is Morgan Guerra and I am a current student at Cabrillo College. I’ve been enthralled in fashion since being a little girl playing dress-up in my mother’s closet and have longed to work in the fashion industry since. My goal is to shine a spotlight on the diverse fashion in Santa Cruz, as it’s something I’ve always…
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What Do You Like To Do On Rainy Days?
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Coloring Contest
