Upgrades Coming to Local Parks County Scoop: January 2020 By Zach Friend, County Supervisor Many parks in the mid and south county haven’t been fully updated in quite some time. Over time, equipment has become safer, more interactive and also more inclusive – ensuring that children of all abilities have the ability to play in our parks. Over the last few years we’ve begun to upgrade many local parks and new plans are in the works. Here is an overview of some of the recent upgrades as well as what’s planned for parks in the mid and south county. LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park Phase one of the County’s first…
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Local Photos of the Month
Local Photos of the Month Mount Madonna’s Production of Seussical Eighth grader Sophia Manzur as the flamboyant and colorful Mayzie le Bird. Photo by Sara Sobkoviak Bea Miller as the whimsical prankster The Cat in the Hat, Photo by Sara Sobkoviak Early to Rise Winter is the best time of year for sky photos. This is looking at Monterey from Pajaro Dunes. Photo by Brad Kava How many counties the size of Santa Cruz have three Nutcrackers? These two are from the Santa Cruz City Ballet’s performance at Cabrillo’s Crocker Theater. Photos by Brad Kava. Tara Redwood Watercolor and marker on watercolor paper. Josie Odom-Knight Age 8 Third Grade Faith…
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Finding Common Ground in Parental Disagreements
Finding Common Ground in Parental Disagreements By Bob Derber and Judge Paul Marigonda Parents who co-parent well may still encounter issues they cannot agree upon in raising their children. You might agree 90% of the time, but are stuck on that ‘one issue’ where resolution is difficult. Perhaps it is a summer vacation schedule, or a child who wants to participate in a sport that give you pause. You know the worst outcome is conflict – as parental conflict always negatively impacts the children. What can you do? An incredible resource our Superior Court offers is Family Court Services mediation. You may have used this resource when you were navigating…
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Judges Matter: County Scoop January 2020
Judges Matter County Scoop: January 2020 By Annrae Angel How did United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “the notorious RBG,” attain superstar status, become the subject of multiple biopics and gain a viral Internet following at the age of 86? Is it just because she is one impressive individual? Or is it because Americans are coming to realize how much judges matter? I would say, both. The high-profile confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh further underscored the gravity and power of the judiciary at the national level, albeit in a different way. Annrae Angel is one of three candidates running for Santa Cruz County Judge. Local…
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Coloring Page January 2020
Coloring Page January 2020 Send your finished coloring page to [email protected].
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January is Positive Parenting Awareness Month: Ask Nicole January 2020
January is Positive Parenting Awareness Month Ask Nicole: January 2020 By Nicole M. Young, MSW Happy New Year! January is the 8th annual Positive Parenting Awareness Month in Santa Cruz County. Although parenting is a non-stop job that deserves recognition every day of the year, this month is an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a positive parent. When children are raised with positive parenting, their grades go up, studies show.. What is positive parenting? It’s an approach to raising children based on collective wisdom and evidence about the skills and support children need to become happy, healthy, confident, independent human beings. Positive parenting promotes children’s healthy…
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Make 2020 a Year of Less Waste: Green Living January 2020
Make 2020 a Year of Less Waste Green Living: January 2020 By Meredith Keet Happy New Year! Who has resolved to use less plastic and generate less waste in 2020??!! We have! Here are some tips to start you off on your way towards changing your impact on the planet this year: 1) Eat less meat and dairy, even if just a little. This may be one of the most impactful things you can do. 2) Skip the air travel and adventure locally. 3) Try a waste challenge: choose a time period to collect your trash and then evaluate what trash you’ve created. How could you produce less the next…
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Calling All Ideas: Green Living January 2020
Calling All Ideas Waste-Free 2020 Green Living: January 2020 By Lisa Catterall Periodically our faculty comes together to review our school’s mission statement and our three pillars of Academic Excellence, Positive Character Development, and Creative Self Expression. Often during our discussions, the idea of “environmental stewardship” as a fourth pillar arises. Whether it is a pillar of our school, a curriculum program crossing all ages, or a shared value infused throughout the community, it is something we strive to model for our students and children. While reducing plastic waste is a very common goal in our homes and at our school, many of us deeply value the ability to bring…
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Adventures in Baja: Extremely Sports January 2020
Adventures in Baja Many surf there, fewer hike and bike Extremely Sports: January 2020 By Karen Kefauver We all know that stretching beyond our comfort zone can be a good thing. So when I was invited to visit Baja in December, I jumped at the opportunity to renew my passport, rebuild my rusty travel skills and practice my even rustier Spanish. Plus, I’d never been to Baja. Little did I know that I would bypass the beach, at least at first, and instead hike and bike! First Step Outside my Comfort Zone The only plan I had was to meet my Aunt Joy for a week in San Jose del…
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California Gets an A for College Saving Plan
California Gets an A for College Saving Plan By Steve Dinnen A new review by Morningstar has ranked California’s college-savings plan as one of the best in the nation. Morningstar, which tracks the performance of mutual funds, said that California’s ScholarShare College Savings Plan was upgraded to its highest ranked Gold category after the state program’s board voted to enhance management of its age-based portfolios. More than 320,000 people are taking advantage of California’s college savings plan. Starting in February, 2020, those investments will be put on a progressive glide path – an industry best practice, said Morningstar – as “it smooths the transitions from stocks to bonds and reduces…
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Arrive: Birth Matters January 2020
Arrive Birth Matters: January 2020 By Laura Maxson LM When parents think about the words baby and arrive they are generally thinking about when labor is going to start. But for more and more families, labor is not going to start on its own – it’s going to begin with an induction of labor. All thanks to the recent ARRIVE study, Labor Induction versus Expectant Management in Low-Risk Nulliparous Women, which looks at inducing otherwise healthy pregnancies at 39 weeks. Midwifery care decreases caesarian deliveries, which are 18 percent of California births, up from 5.5 percent in the 1970s. Some are interpreting the results as a reason for routine induction…
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The OK Symbol or a Symbol of White Power?
The OK Symbol or a Symbol of White Power? By Jillian Miller Humans have different ways of communicating with each other; We can communicate through words, actions, and gestures. But sometimes there can be major miscommunications on what someone’s intent is and what they are trying to convey to those around them or the media. The “White Power Symbol” or also commonly known as the “OK Symbol,” a gesture where the thumb and forefinger are joined together to form a circle, and the remaining three fingers are splayed out behind, is an example of that. This specific gesture has gathered a lot of controversy over the past few years. Educators…
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What is Cabrillo Planning to do with $274.1 Million?
What is Cabrillo Planning to do with $274.1 Million? Great Things! By Suki Wessling Local voters haven’t been fond of passing bonds lately, and Cabrillo hasn’t had one in sixteen years. The college was turned down by voters the last time they asked, so President Matthew Wetstein is trying to make sure this time that it’s clear that this upgrade of Cabrillo’s facilities is a sound investment for our county. Here are some highlights of where the money will go. Sammy the Seahawk giving out high-fives at the fourth grade experience. Photo by Christy Shults New Science Building – $84 Million When Cabrillo College was founded in 1959, the personal…
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Five New Year’s Resolutions You Might Keep
Five New Year’s Resolutions You Might Keep By Jan Pierce When January 1st rolls around, most of us look for fresh starts. This year we’ll lose weight, quit smoking or drinking too much, get along with family members and….the list goes on. Check in with folks about January 20th and most have either given up on their resolutions already, or have forgotten what they were. Change doesn’t come easily. But what if we made some resolutions for 2018 that were things we really want to do, not just things we think we should do? The first resolution isn’t don’t make resolutions. These are simpler, positive steps. What if we made…
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Santa Cruz Gets OK Grades for Lack of Fat
Santa Cruz Gets OK Grades for Lack of Fat Santa Cruzans got a decent report card from the national Nutrition Policy Institute last month, showing that locals were healthier than fellow Californians and diet-seeking peers across the country. The Nutrition Policy Institute, in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, showed more than 25 percent of all California residents were obese, as of 2014. This percentage has increased by 6 percent since 2001. The average Santa Cruzan needs to lose 42 pounds, while the rest of the state needs to lose 51 pounds, according to this obesity study. Though that may seem like a negative thing, in a nation…
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Stop the Bad Swelling: Healthy Eating January 2020
Stop the Bad Swelling Healthy Eating: January 2020 By Kris Holden Inflammation is the body’s natural way of protecting itself from injury, infection and foreign substances. It can be both beneficial and detrimental to our health. Lack of exercise, unmanaged stress, and inflammatory foods can all contribute to chronic inflammation. Thankfully, studies suggest that you can control and possibly reverse inflammation through a healthy, anti-inflammatory lifestyle. There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic (long-term). Acute inflammation, is beneficial and protects our health. It activates our immune system response to an injury, such as a cut or a bruise. This allows our body to repair and heal itself. Chronic…
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Look What I Made! Behind the Teacher’s Desk January 2020
Look What I Made! Academic Achievement and the Creative Process in Preschool and Kindergarten Behind the Teacher’s Desk: January 2020 By Hema Walker …As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life – John Lubbock, The Pleasures of Life The joyful sights and sounds of children creating their own masterpieces and engaging in the creative process reveal more than just a playful diversion from the important work of academics. The process of creating with one’s own hands, and as a group, is rich with essential skills that enrich and support academic pursuits and give rise to meaningful connections between the student and the academic material. A wealth of research…
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Happy Healthy Kids: Eight Reasons to Embrace Outdoor Play
Happy Healthy Kids Eight Reasons to Embrace Outdoor Play By Jan Pierce Are you one of those parents who wonder if your child’s schedule is too crowded? Too stressful? Do you watch him play video games by the hour and get a little nervous about the long-term effects? Do you wish she had time to “just play” rather than run from school to lessons to team practices? If you can relate to the above situations, you’re in good company. It seems today’s busy lifestyles don’t allow much time for healthy, unstructured outdoor exploration and play. Schools that give more recess and breaks from classwork are finding attention improves during the…
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Will New Law Gut Charter Schools?
Will New Law Gut Charter Schools? By Suki Wessling The updated charter school law signed by Governor Newsom last fall, AB 1505, was hailed as a compromise between districts that wanted more control and charter school advocates who wanted to maintain independence. “For the most part, whatever side you’re on, people see this as an improvement, as a reform that’s going to make the chartering process more effective,” says Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah. Santa Cruz County has 15 charter schools that could be affected by the new laws that started this month. The mood at some of our fifteen local charter schools, however, could be…
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Editor’s Note January 2020
Editor’s Note January 2020 By Brad Kava As we turn the corner into a new decade, Growing Up in Santa Cruz is growing up. It’s hard to believe we’ve been publishing for two years. It’s all gone so fast. We’re looking for big things in 2020 and we have special topics and interests planned for each month. And we’re always up for your suggestions about things you want us to cover. So far, we’ve been successful fulfilling last year’s resolutions, to be more local and more colorful and to cover nooks and crannies around our diverse and exciting county. We’ve also monitored the pulse of education and community development. In…
