Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network “Pop Ups” Bring Together Local Youth and Community The Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network and United Way of Santa Cruz County are “popping up” at various Santa Cruz County destinations to offer the community a new, fun, and meaningful way to bring youth, community members, and youth-serving organizations together. The Youth Action Network Pop-Up events are family-friendly and focus on offering games, activities, food, and fun for middle – high school youth while connecting them with local youth programs, resources, and community leaders. The Youth Action Network consists of organizations focusing on youth well-being and committed to amplifying youth voices from across the…
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Kermit
Kermit – the Bikemobile By Santa Cruz Public Libraries Mission Statement: To have fun, to meet the community wherever the community may gather, and to provide library services wherever possible. Kermit arrived in Santa Cruz in 2016 and was made possible through a Pacific Library Partnership grant, the Burgeon Group, and the Spokesman Bicycles shop in Santa Cruz. You can check out books, get a library card, and talk with a library staff person whenever Kermit is out and about. Kermit can usually be found at community events, farmer’s markets, parades, and, sometimes, helping the many Little Free Libraries by providing donated paperbacks. And, although Kermit is a bit…
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June’s Local Artist
Madisyn Huntress Hein I’m a recent SLVHS graduate attending Cabrillo College. I’ve lived all over the Santa Cruz Mountain areas. My interest in art started at a young age, and my first art teacher, Lisa Alexander, sparked my passion for creating art. She was encouraging and helped me believe in myself as an artist at a young age. Many of my skills are self-taught, with some instruction from various high school art teachers. I paint mostly plant life and landscapes. I also enjoy focusing on bringing my imagination of fairies and magic to life. I’ve been oil painting on and off since my sophomore year of high school. While I…
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About to Pop?
The Santa Cruz Real Estate Bubble By Seb Frey The talk of a real estate bubble has been getting louder and louder for the past several years. Lately, it seems to have reached, if not a fevered pitch, something of a dull roar. Memories of the 2008 mortgage crisis and subsequent collapse of real estate prices linger. Prices are now considerably higher than they were at the prior peak, and housing affordability is as bad as it has ever been, and quite possibly worse. It seems everyone is asking, “Are these prices sustainable?” and “should I wait for the market to correct before I buy a home here?” Those are…
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Summer Reading
Avoid the Slide by diane cowen Summer Slide is the term used to describe learning loss that children experience over the summer when they are out of school and away from structured learning activities. Children and teens who do not read over the summer lose some of the achievement gains made during the previous school year. These summer setbacks are particularly problematic because early education serves as the foundation for the achievement, work habits, and perceptions about self-confidence and schooling that impact performance for years to come. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) can help with that! The Library Summer Reading Program provides educational, fun enrichment activities, and they’re free!…
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Young Volunteers
Proving That Anyone Can Make a Difference How a Group of Third Graders is Taking Small Steps to Change the World By Kim Hickok It’s amazing how all the kids have come together to be a part of Be the Change, and they’re very proud of it. For the most part, Aarav Patel is a typical third grader. He’s a little shy, enjoys playing video games, swimming, and playing tennis. But what makes this 8-year-old stand out from his peers is his unresounding desire to make the world a better place. “I was, and still am, inspired by Gandhi and his passion for wanting to change the world,” Patel said.…
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Erin Buchla
Cruising to a New Career Suki Wessling Erin Buchla, like anyone who worked with small children for many years, is good at problem-solving in the moment. Faced with a devastated customer, a boy who had lost his Pokémon cards after leaving them on top of the car, she got to work. “I invited all these parents to come out with their kids and bring a couple Pokémon cards,” Erin recalls. “We put them out on this 14-foot table and the kids all shared a couple cards with the boy that lost them and he was just so happy.” Erin owns Cruise Coffee Cafe in Scotts Valley—a drive-through and a full…
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Postpartum
Postpartum OCD? by Laura Maxson, LM The first months after birth are filled with many new and important baby-related tasks and broken sleep patterns – a stressful combination for most. Parenting can be overwhelming, and teary moments are common, but most parents and care providers are on the lookout for moods that swing too low or hang on for too long. Postpartum depression is on just about everyone’s radar nowadays.Santa Cruz County’s Perinatal Mental Health Coalition (PMHC) provides information and support to parents, and those who work with parents, around mental health and wellness in the childbearing years. Their website SpeakUpSantaCruz.org provides families and professionals with local information for referrals,…
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Defining Gender
Banned in Florida, but Freely Talked About Here Gender Isn’t Always What You Think It Is By Suki Wessling Most of today’s parents grew up with what’s called the gender binary, which assumes the existence of two distinct genders. Most of today’s kids learn about changing gender norms from their peer groups, for whom gender is seen as fluid and as a spectrum. But for many families when they’re at home, gender is simply not an issue…until it is. “My child is 14 and was assigned female at birth, and that’s how we raised this child—as a female, you know? Because that’s how it’s done.”Goldi’s child came out as nonbinary…
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What is Gender
by Mikayla SHults This month, I asked transgender, nonbinary, and cisgender kids what gender means to them. In the past few years, it has become easier for kids to express their gender in the ways that they want freely. To many adults, being trans seems like a trend that children will not be consistent with. In the cases where kids seem to be flip-flopping between being nonbinary and transgender, what is really happening is a kid figuring out how they want to express themself and what feels right. When adults are not well informed, whether that be basic knowledge of the LQBTQ community or how to support their trans children…
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Changing of the Seasons
Changing of the Seasons Boardwalk Unveils New Summer Lineup By Erik Chalhoub Summertime is going to look a little different at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk this year. The new Evenings on the Colonnade, announced by the park in late April, will feature live music on Thursday evenings from June 16 through Aug. 11.Gone (at least for now) is Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach with its big-name acts that drew crowds so large that the sand disappeared from the beach. Instead, Bay Area bands will perform Thursday evenings from 8:30-10pm, with local favorites such as Extra Large and Pacific Roots, among others.Movies will also return to the beach…
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Jody Ryker
Circus Performer or Mathematician? Why Not Both? By Jeanette Prather Math teacher by day and circus performer by night, Jody Ryker seamlessly closes the chasm between these seemingly different worlds. “I split my time between my two passions, math and circus arts,” said Ryker, who identifies as non-binary and prefers the pronoun “they”. “I teach math part-time at Foothill College, and I teach part-time for various circus and pole studios.”How did Ryker forge a path of teaching math and performing pole and circus arts? “I’ve always been interested in many things, and I like always trying something new,” they said. “I’ve always felt that I need something that engages me…
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Adjusting After COVID
Adjusting After COVID By Nicole M. Young, MSW My oldest child recently graduated from college. I’m grateful he experienced his graduation ceremony in person, but it was surreal to be there with thousands of people. It made me realize how life is definitely different because of COVID but feels more “normal” with each passing day. I’ll admit there are times when I miss the quieter, slower pace of life and the increased family bonding time, especially during the first year of the pandemic. I want to maintain that feeling of peace and family connectedness, even as life takes my kids in new and different directions. I have a feeling I’m…
