The Monterey Bay region is a place of scenic beauty, with breathtaking coastlines, rolling fields, and shady redwood forests. It’s also an exciting place of culture, history, and innovation.Its challenges are equally vivid. Housing costs are increasingly out of reach. Jobs in leading industries leave workers struggling to make ends meet. A Digital Divide hinders progress and inclusivity and exacerbates economic and educational inequalities. Those are among the complex issues that led to the formation of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) in 2015. A regional, member-supported nonprofit, MBEP brings together a cross-sector network of stakeholders from public, private, and civic entities to collaborate around regional challenges to improve the…
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Steps to Protecting Your Family and Home from Wildfires
After the devastating CZU, Lahaina, and Palisades wildfires that ravaged thousands of acres and caused billions in damages, it’s clear that we need to be proactive in safeguarding our families, pets, and homes. With skyrocketing fire insurance premiums and major carriers hesitant to cover California properties, preparation is more critical than ever. In 2019, as California Mother of the Year, I organized the North Rodeo Gulch (NRG) Firewise community in Soquel and created a YouTube video demonstrating an easy way to prepare a Go-Bag [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JqDaLIdwvY]. Below are six simple steps to help you prepare for emergencies and potentially save lives. Let’s work together to reduce the stress and fear associated…
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Celebrating Love with Simple Acts
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and I love that we have a holiday dedicated to showing the people we care about how much we love and cherish them! As my daughter grows and begins to understand the holidays more, we want to create family traditions with her that make her feel loved. For us, we like to show love with random acts of kindness—like my husband brewing coffee in the morning, handling the grocery runs (which I don’t enjoy), or sending a thoughtful message. It’s making dinner, eating together, sharing our day, offering cuddles, building pillow forts, and dancing together. There are so many ways to show love and celebrate…
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Discovery Preschool and Family Center Celebrates 10 Years
Discovery Preschool and Family Center celebrates 10 years of operation serving over one thousand families throughout the last decade. Founder, Sara Balla, started Discovery as a home-based preschool program when her children were preschool aged. “All of the teachers working with me either brought their own children or they were pregnant. I felt like I had my village, every day supporting one another’s babies, making snacks together, and trusting one another to love and nurture our own precious children. I always wanted Discovery to be a place where teachers were honored for their hard work and respected for their huge role in the development of a child”. Today Discovery is…
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‘Moana 2’ Shows You Should Never Give Up
I really loved the tropical setting for the new movie “Moana 2” with all the bright green palm trees and plants and also the deep blue of the ocean, which the main character, a girl named Moana, considers her friend. She can control the ocean. I don’t know how she did it. I also liked how there were so many different fun characters, starting with Moana’s friends, a little pig Pua and a skinny little chicken Heihei. Some characters were alive, like Moana’s little sister, Simea, who is really cute. Some other characters are dead, but still talk. There are actually a lot of dead characters in the movie, like…
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Program Provides Reduced Tuition Rates at Colleges
By many accounts Northern Arizona University has a very credible degree program in industrial and emerging technologies. It attracts students from all across the land, and out of state residents are paying a $28,650 tuition. Californians are in luck here, because a program available to students in select western states caps their tuition at participating publicly operated schools at no more than 150 percent of their in-state rate. A Californian, in this instance, would pay tuition of $17,532. That’s a discount of 40 percent over what out of staters typically would pay. This program is called the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), and is managed by the Western Interstate Commission for…
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Keeping Families Safe
You only have to look southward at the flames and poisonous smoke that came from Moss Landing recently to know what deregulation looks like. We have a new president promising to deregulate industry and make America more profitable. But at what expense? The Moss Landing fire is terrifying, not just because it can’t be put out, but because the hazardous chemicals coming from it are landing on the country’s richest agricultural salad bowl and the surrounding protected Elkhorn Slough and Marine Sanctuary. It’s a serious quandary. On one hand, the battery units are designed to store solar and wind energy and move away from fossil fuels, an environmentalist’s dream. On…
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Teaching Kids to Plan and Shop with Purpose
Helping kids learn to meal plan and grocery shop isn’t just about sharing household responsibilities—it’s a valuable lesson in financial wellness. Teaching these skills early equips children with tools for a lifetime of smart money management. Let’s break this process into clear, actionable steps that feel like a real-world classroom. Step 1: Start with What You Have Before heading to the store, take inventory of what’s already in your kitchen. Open the fridge, pantry, and freezer to involve your kids in identifying items that can be used in meals. Activity: Ask your kids to help sort items into categories, like proteins, vegetables, and snacks. Then, brainstorm meal ideas using those…
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Disaster Preparedness for Pets
When disaster strikes, it often comes with little warning, leaving families scrambling to ensure everyone’s safety—including their pets. According to a 2021 ASPCA survey conducted after Hurricane Ida, only 46% of pet owners had a disaster preparedness plan in place, despite 83% living in areas affected by natural disasters. This lack of preparation can lead to heartbreaking scenarios, as nearly half of surveyed evacuees reported leaving pets behind. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020 reminded Santa Cruz County residents how quickly emergencies can escalate. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter played a vital role, sheltering displaced animals and reuniting pets with their families. This showcased community resilience but also…
