May 2019 - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

May Coloring Contest!

growingupsc — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:44:40 +0000

May Coloring Contest! Print out the drawing, have a kid color it in and enter to win two free tickets to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Winners will be picked at random, but you have to color to win. We will also pick 10 winners from those who subscribe to our newsletter at the home page.

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Teens Talk Back: These Students are Well on Their Way to Beloved Careers

growingupsc — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:32:22 +0000

Teens Talk Back These Students are Well on Their Way to Beloved Careers By Mary Gaukel Forster “The Talk” With Your Teen was the focus of last month’s article, about how parents can begin conversations about and encourage career explorations. This month teens “talk back” about their work based experiences in Career and Technical Education courses offered at high schools throughout the county. Our organization, Your Future Is Our Business, held its annual luncheon, on March 8, which highlighted the work of Career and Technical Education teachers and students along with the support given by the community. Caption: CTE award winners Adriana Avila-Medrano, Riley Rozario, Grace Bailey, Elijah Galster and Trevor Hill Five scholarships were given to students who evidenced the importance of Career and Technical Education courses, having a role model, and a plan for the future. There are no better testimonies or inspiration than the words of the teens, from their scholarship speeches, which I am sharing in this column. Riley Rozario, Harbor High School Riley, a junior, is taking a Biotechnology course, “My CTE biotechnology course has been the most challenging yet rewarding class I’ve ever taken in school. Ms. Pfeiffer doesn’t just teach us essential lab techniques, but how to be successful in a business, and in life. I believe that when I finish this course, I will be much better suited for college and a career than someone who didn’t have the privilege of taking CTE biotechnology. Riley also credited her mother who became a nurse in 2014. “Her becoming a nurse opened up so many job possibilities for me because she would come home and tell me about the different things I could do in the medical field, and got me interested in them. This is how I discovered by dream to job of becoming a forensic pathologist.” Elijah Galster, Aptos High School Elijah spoke passionately. “ Over the years I have been able to develop my artistic and creative ability, however, I struggled to put them to use. I had no place or tools to develop and put my skills into practice. That was until I began my CTE Graphic Design course. This course has greatly built my real-world skills helping me not only in the technical aspects of graphic design but also the technical aspects of life. I had the opportunity with this class to build my resume, develop a portfolio and earn a look into what the real world is like. The skills I developed in my CTE Graphic Design course helped me move one step closer to my dream career. I now feel ready to take on the real world and develop my skills further as I continue to college where I will continue on my graphic design career path.” Grace Bailey, Soquel High School scholarship winner Taking Career and Technical Education course, Sports Medicine, led Grace to assisting in a biology lab at Santa Clara University, a Stanford University internship, and participation in a global medical project. “I not only fell in love with Sports Medicine, but I was galvanized to find out what other types of medicine I was interested in.” She continued her career exploration, taking CTE Biotechnology, “CTE Biotechnology, like Sports Medicine, is unlike any class I have ever taken; the hands-on labs propel me to critically question, analyze, and objectively test ideas through the scientific process.” Adriana Avila-Medrano, Harbor High School Adriana, a senior explained the impact of taking multiple Career and Technical Education Courses, “In my Digital Photography class, I learned that beauty can be seen anywhere no matter how far or close you look. In Medical Technology, I learned how to connect with the people around me. In Graphic design, I learned how to get along with the computer and be creative.” She acknowledged her role models, “my wonderful teacher, Ms. Stahl,” and “my mom, a Cardiac Technician”. Courses and role models led her to a plan for the future, “to be a part of improving the quality of life for myself and others by being in the Medical field…in either becoming an Ultrasound Technician, Physical Therapist, or a Nurse.” Trevor Hill, Harbor High School Trevor is currently enrolled in three Career and Technical Education Courses: Fire Technology, Photography, and Biotechnology. He ended his speech clearly stating the power of CTE courses for career explorations. “Each of us has the power to help make the world a better place. I know that I will make a difference by continuing my education and obtaining a career in Firefighting or Forestry. I’d like to work with others to come up with a resolution to reduce the fire danger in our forests and communities that we are currently encountering. The CTE program has given me the opportunity to find a career path that I am passionate about.” I hope that you are inspired by these teens to learn more about how Career and Technical Education courses can start your student on a career pathway. All of these questions have been a part of my life since I was first asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, then I began teaching elementary school, had my own children, taught in middle school and high school, became a high school principal, finally a grandparent, and currently the executive director for the non-profit organization, Your Future Is Our Business. I now focus on fulfilling our mission of providing all youth in our county with career explorations, funded by the County Office of Education in partnership with University of Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, and Cal State University Monterey Bay. Reach Mary at marygaukel@gmail.com

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Founding Director of the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery Retires

growingupsc — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:31:31 +0000

Founding Director of the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery Retires After four and half years of volunteering as Executive Director of the SCCMOD, co-founder Patrice Keet, will be retiring in June. The Board of Directors and Patrice tell us that there will be a smooth and well-planned transition as Dr. Rhiannon Crain will be stepping in as Interim Executive Director. Rhiannon has the distinction of being a founding Board member of the Museum bringing her knowledge, expertise and degree in Museum Science to the position. Previously she was Executive Director of Yardmap, a Citizen Science program of Cornell University. ALL COLOR students in Susan Penprase’s third grade class at Watsonville Charter School of the arts entered last month’s coloring contest and we couldn’t pick only one winner. They all received two free passes to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. check out this month’s coloring page. To celebrate Patrice’s dedicated work with the Museum and insure sustainability of the Museum, an adult-only Casino Night fundraiser is being held at the MOD on Saturday June 8 from 5 – 9:30 pm. In additional to a professional gaming company, food and drinks will be provided along with gaming chips, a silent auction and prizes. Tickets for the event are $100. per person and are available at modcasinonightfundraiser.eventbrite.com or on the Museum website www.sccmod.org.

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What You Can do Now to Prepare for Fire Season

growingupsc — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:24:29 +0000

What You Can do Now to Prepare for Fire Season By Becky Steinbruner, Fire Safety Council of Santa Cruz The recent deadly Tubbs and Camp fires that devastated suburbs and wild land alike have given us all cause to ponder: What would I do if it happened here? Could such fires happen here? The answer is: Yes. You can begin preparing your family and home now and be miles ahead when fire season arrives. The important thing is to just do something and get started, building muscle-memory for the actions you may have to actually perform when needed … much like a firefighter who trains repeatedly. Keeping Safe in Summer. Fire Capt. Dara Herrick. Photo by Kevin Painchaud. 1) Get Connected Make sure that your correct phone numbers and address are in the County emergency notification system. Register online at http://www.scr911.org and click on “CodeRed.” You can register phone numbers of family members and your home and work address, to make sure that you and your family receive emergency alerts affecting your home or business, any time during the day or night. 2) Five Minute Evacuation Plan If you had five minutes to get out, what would you do? What would you absolutely have to take along, with the eerie thought that you may never be able to come back to things intact? If you had NO TIME to grab anything at all (such was the case of my neighbor who awoke to find the neighboring house fire had rapidly spread to hers) … what would you do? + Take time now and walk yourself and family members through a drill. Doing so will build critical muscle memory that will kick in when you’re in such a panic that you just can’t think. + Station at your exits a grab-and-go kit with the basics: water, non-perishable food that is nourishing and comforting, a flashlight and spare batteries, copies of critically-important documents (insurance, medical, list of phone contacts for family members in case you don’t have your own phone with you), and any medications that you must take regularly on a strict schedule. + Keep a duplicate kit in your car, too, because fires may occur while you’re away from home, and you may not be able to return to your home to retrieve anything. + Take photographs of all rooms in your home…it could be helpful if you need to document losses with your insurance company later. 3) Your Pet Plan Do you have pets that would need your help evacuating? + Have a bit of food in your grab-and-go kit for them, too. + What would you do for your pets if you were away when a fire begins, and you cannot get back to retrieve your pets? Think that through now: Do you have neighbors who could help? Do you know their phone numbers? Call them now, and work out a plan now for such an emergency. Walk yourself through evacuating your pets. 4) Defensible Space If you live in the woods, now is a good time to look around outside your home and begin improving fire defensible space. The strategy with creating defensible space is to start at your home and work out. + Begin by taking a tour around your house and imagine it is a hot, dry day. Your focus is on the five feet immediately surrounding your house. Look at the following with a critical eye: any shrubs, plants or organic mulches adjacent to your house, the state of any wooden fences and decks connected directly to your house, accumulated piles of leaves banked up in corners, patio furniture, brooms, or wooden ladders within five feet of your house, and any leaves and debris on your roof or in your gutters. Take action now to reduce or eliminate these hazards. + Then, look at the next 30 feet from your house. You’ll want to make sure it’s free of dead plants and lowhanging branches. Trim trees to create at least 10 feet of clearance from chimneys and walls. Plant fire-resistant plants. Stack firewood or construction materials at least 30 feet from any structures. If you are able, extend this fire defensible space to 100 feet from all structures by thinning shrubs, creating open space between bushes and trees, and removing all dead vegetation. 5) Get Started Now If this seems overwhelming, choose one aspect of the work above, and start with that this week. Follow up the next week with another. What is most critical is that you just get started now, and build musclememory that will serve you and your family well when you need it most – maybe at 1am in the middle of this summer’s fire season. You can find more information at the websites listed below. Fire Safe Santa Cruz County website link: www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_100feet CalFire website link: www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_100feet Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Services website link: www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Departments/EmergencyServices.aspx Our Mission The purpose of Fire Safe Santa Cruz County (FSSCC) is to educate and mobilize the people of Santa Cruz County to protect their community, homes, and environment from wildfire. Contact Us 831-464-2950 xt 28 Fire Safe Santa Cruz County <info@firesafesantacruzcounty.org>

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California’s Mother of the Year is from Soquel

growingupsc — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:23:08 +0000

California’s Mother of the Year is from Soquel Forget apple pies and crocheting, Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy is a Renaissance Woman By Brad Kava Before career woman Susan Tatsui-D’arcy had her first child three decades ago, she thought she’d hire a nanny, so she could run her corporation during the daytime. But one look at her daughter and she knew she wasn’t leaving home. She didn’t want to leave her job either, so she came up with a plan. She hired a nanny, of sorts, who was more like a teacher and she brought in other kids whose parents could share the expense of the childcare at her house. She worked upstairs, while the kids and caregiver were downstairs. It was such a success, she wrote a book now called The Millennial’s Guide to Free Child Care about the process, something she hoped would help cover childcare expenses for parents who couldn’t afford daycare. “One of the toughest things for mothers trying to get out of poverty is to find a way to work and have their children taken care of,” she says. “It’s impossible to get ahead if you can’t afford to do both. One of my main goals is to show women how they can put together a plan to do it.” A few years and a second child later, she wasn’t happy with the options she saw for sending her kids to school, so she repeated the process, hiring top teachers in the area, in drama, in science, in math and arts to school a group of children in her home and created what she called Merit Academy. She wrote extensive curriculum books for what the teachers should do every day, for students aged 18 months to 18 years. “I knew that young kids only have a 20-minute attention span,” she said. “So I filled the day with things that were fun and educational.” With three to five kids in a class, they got plenty of attention and did science experiments like figuring out how many cups of water would fill a container. They learned phonics, they gardened. They kept moving to keep things interesting. “By 3 my kids were reading,” she said. “By 5 they were writing their own books!” The Academy, in her stunning hillside home in the Soquel hills off Rodeo Gulch, has a theater, aquaponic and hydroponic gardens, a weight room and sewing station, and resources for all kinds of student interest. Much of her teaching has to do with saving the environment, a project she took so far that she had a class of students drive a hydrogen-powered car up the coast and meet then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and inventors around the country. When you walk around her house, you feel like you are in the presence of a modern Leonardo Da Vinci. She built her own furniture—no IKEA here– including a bed with hidden storage for her skis and equipment and hidden closets that keep things like the satin wrapping sheets she uses instead of wrapping paper, a full professional facial station that she, her daughters and friends bond over. Her shoe racks are to die for—they are on giant floor-to-ceiling lazy Susans tucked into a corner. She likes to do things herself and encourages her students and kids to do the same. When she took her kids on a trip around the world she made them spend a year researching the countries they would visit and create a guide book for the family. It worked. Her oldest daughter, Nicole, is now an emergency room doctor; her younger daughter, Jaclyn, just got her MBA. They were the ones who nominated her mother for the statewide award given by California American Mothers. She is now eligible to be the national mother of the year. “They are done,” she said. “I feel like I’ve completed my mission.” But she still teaches and consults with families around the country. She spent 15 years creating 1,500 page biographies of her daughters’ lives and has an organized closet full of videos of them growing up. “She organizes her life and executes it,” said Michael Beck, 30, a former student who is now an engineer. “She has a vision and she gets it done. And she has so much faith in youth. It’s refreshing and inspiring.” Craziest moment in parenting? “My 14-year-old daughter wanted to make alcohol fuel from rotten veggies so she asked me if she could buy the materials to make it. I gave her my credit card and she ordered the parts online. A few days later, I received a phone call from the FBI inquiring about my purchases of parts to build a 5,000-gallon still! I put them on hold, so I could talk to my daughter. She had decided to build a big still so she could make enough fuel for the year! Luckily, the FBI had a sense of humor!”

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This Santa Cruz 12-year-old is a Ripper

growingupsc — Thu, 02 May 2019 00:09:33 +0000

This Santa Cruz 12-year-old is a Ripper By Kevin Painchaud As the fog was gently settling down on the Steamers Lane, I sat on a bench in front of the lighthouse interviewing a bright-eyed, blond haired 12-year-old ripper named Jackson Taylor. He had just won the Santa Cruz Waves Swellies award for best “Grom Boy under 16 surfer.” He’s 12 and goes to New Brighton Middle School. KP: Tell me about your family history in Santa Cruz. JT: We’re a third generation family for surfers. My grandpa grew up here. He started shaping boards for people and started surfing more. Then my dad came along and he was a very good surfer. He loved the competitions and was doing good in those. KP: Is your family supportive of you surfing and skating? JT: They are very supportive. If I ever need to go out and train, they always take me out and watch me and help me get better. KP: How old were you when you started surfing? JT: I was 3 or 4 years old. KP: Where did you first learn how to surf? JT: I learned how to surf and a place called Gnomes by Pleasure Point. KP: When did you start skateboarding? JT: I started skateboarding when I was 5. KP: Which do you like more? Surfing or Skating? JT: I like surfing more because if I fall I don’t really get hurt and you can keep trying more tricks but if you’re skateboarding and you eat it you can get really hurt. KP: At what age did you become serious about surfing? JT: Probably around 8 or 9 when i did my first NSSA competition. I got really into it because I was doing it with my friends and we kept on pushing each other to do better. KP: How often do you compete? JT: I compete in every NSSA competition on both the east side and the west side. I might compete in regionals this year. KP: What do you like about surfing? JT: My favorite thing about surfing is just flowing with the waves and being in the ocean. My favorite thing about skating is the amount of speed and flow that you can get when you’re skating around the park. KP: What’s your least favorite thing about surfing? JT: I can’t think of anything I don’t like about surfing. It’s just a super fun sport. KP: Are you currently sponsored? And if you are, by whom? JT: I’m sponsored by Taylor Surfboards, O’Neill Surf Shop, Reef, DaKine, Volcom, Rainbow Fins, Sector 9, and Von Zipper. KP: What would you like the future to be like for Jackson Taylor? JT: If I can, and I keep training, I’d love to become a pro surfer. KP: What do you recommend to other kids that want to learn how to surf? JT: I’d recommend going to Costco and buying a soft top surfboard and go down to 38 and catch some of the white washes out there.

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Your Green Choices Are Not Made to Insult Others

growingupsc — Wed, 01 May 2019 23:59:08 +0000

Your Green Choices Are Not Made to Insult Others By Suki Wessling Last month I talked to local resident Canaan Sasha about shopping local and frequenting stores that had bulk items so we could bring our own containers. We were having fun geeking out about all the things we bring containers for when she mentioned something important: “[Shopping local] is not necessarily economically viable for everyone in the community, but I take that responsibility pretty seriously because I know it’s not going to be possible for everyone.” In the way that the universe works, the next day I had a conversation in which someone told me that shopping local is “not a solution” because, well, they personally can’t do it because of their life constraints. I’ve heard this before, so I wanted to address it here openly. The argument goes like this: Your solution is not a solution at all because [insert group of people] can’t do it. Therefore, your solution is completely invalid. Besides featuring a standard logical fallacy, there’s a problem with that argument: Solutions to complex problems are often complex. We got into our present situation, a warming world filled with piles of waste, through a series of subtle changes in human population and behavior. Many of the changes were positive ones: Medical advances led to huge population growth The improvement in quality of living led to more consumption Technology and scientific innovation has allowed us to produce more goods of more variety than ever before Now we’ve got a mess of unexpected consequences to deal with. If we sit around waiting for everyone to be able to make the same choices, we won’t solve the problem. So the next time you get into that conversation—you know the one—where a well-meaning person points out that your decision is not going to save the Earth, I am offering you a response (thanks, Canaan, for your help on this!): “I understand that my solution is not viable for everyone. But I feel a responsibility, as one resident of this earth, to do everything I can in my own small way.” Each of us needs to do the best we can in the areas of life that we have control over. And none of us needs to be shamed about what we can or can’t do within our own life constraints. What is your family or business doing to leave less of a footprint or encourage lower consumption? Contact us, and get featured in Growing Up in Santa Cruz!

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The Live Oak Cradle To Career Initiative Supports Families: County Scoop May 2019

growingupsc — Wed, 01 May 2019 23:51:13 +0000

The Live Oak Cradle To Career Initiative Supports Families By John Leopold, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Live Oak is home to multi-million dollar homes but also pockets of real poverty just a few blocks away.  At Live Oak Elementary, 85% of the children are on free or reduced lunch, and Shoreline Middle School has over 100 kids that have lived at more than two homes over the past year. To address these challenges the Live Oak Cradle to Career Initiative was formed by parents, educators, health, and social service leaders working together to ensure that all children can reach their full potential. We do this through responsive programming, policy change, community engagement and leadership development. After assembling the agencies and institutions that are active in the community, we needed to blend a special sauce with ingredients including building on the community hopes and dreams; ensuring authentic inclusion and working to create systems change naturally by listening to each other. Even though we had incredible program directors around the table, we sought the leadership of parents to guide this effort from Day One. We asked parents what their hopes and dreams were for their children and they told us they wanted them to have a good education, good health, and good character. Rather than starting from deficits or problems, we channel the power of love to build community.  We work to link parents’ hopes and dreams with evidence-based practices such as ESL classes, Raising a Reader workshops, primary care, and even Zumba classes To engage all the parents we added our next ingredient – authentic inclusion in all that we do.  By shifting from a service model to organizing model, our C2C initiative sees all our parents as partners. We don’t wait for people to come to us; we meet them where they are; through personal connections at school or in the community. This includes prioritizing language justice and investing in simultaneous interpretation and translation in all our meetings and events. C2C proactively invites parent participation and we have created a parent leadership organization to shape the direction of the entire initiative. And next we added listening to each other to naturally create systems change.  C2C creates forums for community members to speak directly with program directors and elected officials as equal stakeholders. When there are gaps in our policies and systems, we respond because families knows what will work best in their community.  Earlier this year, mothers in the initiative identified the many hurdles accessing healthcare for their families. Our Steering Committee worked to address the issues and then held a workshop with parents so they could receive the healthcare they need for themselves and their family. We have heated up these ingredients by cultivating solidarity between parents. C2C works to reduce isolation, and build community through creating new networks to help with everything from transportation to help with a new job. This solidarity extends to agency leaders who leverage their resources (instead of competing for them) to serve the community better. So when the parents requested ESL classes, the County paid to deliver a free weekly class, while Live Oak Community Resources provided childcare and facilities, and parent leaders managed recruitment. The class was so successful, that the Adult School instituted a second class and has taken over funding. So even though our Cradle to Career Initiative is young, we have already seen some great success.  We have been successful because we mixed our ingredients to create a special sauce that has nourished the families and agencies that are participating. Through this special effort, test scores at Live Oak Elementary where we started C2C have shown great increases, parent participation in school efforts are way up and we are sharing the special sauce with Del Mar Elementary. Our recipe is getting great reviews and we encourage you to check us out at https://liveoakc2c.com. John Leopold is the County Supervisor representing Live Oak, Soquel, and the Summit area. He served as the convener to for the community to build the C2C Initiative.

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Softening Postpartum with a Doula

Laura Maxson — Wed, 01 May 2019 23:42:35 +0000

Softening Postpartum with a Doula By Laura Maxson, LM CPM In an ideal world, every new mother would have her own mother or mother-in-law come stay for several weeks after the birth of a baby, helping with cooking and laundry while dispensing rare but sage advice on breastfeeding and childcare. However, in our real world many families are miles apart, if not in distance, then in temperament. Whether having a family member come to help is logistically impossible or just plain undesirable, the postpartum doula is ready to step in. Postpartum doulas have skills, time and – most importantly – an air of calm confidence when it comes to being with mothers and babies. The doula doesn’t take over baby care; instead she models, teaches and encourages parenting skills while keeping the household together. A new mother won’t often be able to pinpoint one miraculous moment with her postpartum doula that marked a turning point in her confidence as a parent. Rather, it is a series of small almost imperceptible moments that lightened the load, allowing this new parent to take a breath, get her perspective back and continue learning how to be in tune with her baby. Postpartum doulas are available to new families for a few hours, a few days or for weeks at a time. Experienced with breastfeeding support, the doula can offer encouragement through helpful tips and techniques that have been successful for many other families, while keeping an eye out for situations that seem beyond the normal new baby transitions. The postpartum doula is not a clinician, but will definitely point out situations to the parents that might seem like a possible problem brewing, so they can be attended to earlier rather than later. What every parent knows, but most parents-to-be don’t quite understand, is the intensity of the postpartum period. A postpartum doula can mean that she gets a shower today instead of tomorrow. And, while she is in the shower, her postpartum doula quickly changes her sheets. Once back in bed with her newborn nursing quietly, the bathroom gets a quick wipe down, the garbage gets emptied and the wilting plants on the counter are given a drink. Making sure the new mother has eaten healthfully during the day and that there is a plan for dinner is often part of doula duties. Getting siblings ready for school or dance class; or just reading a story while mom dozes with the new baby can take the pressure of the real world off everyone for a few minutes. Postpartum doulas can look at the calendar and remind tired parents to make their house payment or that there is a pediatrician visit tomorrow. Folding clothes and making a shopping list while quickly demonstrating an effective burping technique are staples of postpartum doula care, but the real gift is the sense of calm that comes in with the postpartum doula and lingers long after she leaves for the day. The first few weeks with a newborn are intense – there is no doubt about that, but the intensity should be a mix. There are moments of bliss and bonding for the whole family that are unmatched and can be missed if they are overshadowed by anxiety, exhaustion and stress. Friends and family members can be great doulas and with their commitment and a little thoughtful planning, many families are able to pull together their own informal system of support, but this is not for everyone. So, how can parents fit one more expense into the price of pregnancy and birth? Look into postpartum doula care as soon as possible in the pregnancy. Attend Meet the Doulas or check out Birth Network of Santa Cruz County’s resource listings for local postpartum doulas. Get an idea of prices and packages, and then budget for it. Put $20 – $50 a month into an envelope during the pregnancy. This will give you a start for hiring postpartum care. Add postpartum doula fund information to your shower gift registry so people can contribute. Specifically requesting funds toward a postpartum doula let people know that your priority is people over things. Babies grow so fast – there are hundreds of beautiful baby outfits available at the used baby stores for pennies on the dollar. But the value of a postpartum doula, especially for a first baby, can’t be matched. Listing of Postpartum Doulas – www.birthnet.org

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Bike to Work Day May 9 in Santa Cruz Rolls Out New Bike Challenge and 12 Free Breakfast Sites

growingupsc — Wed, 01 May 2019 23:35:32 +0000

Bike to Work Day May 9 in Santa Cruz Rolls Out New Bike Challenge and 12 Free Breakfast Sites By Karen Kefauver Bike to Work Day in Santa Cruz ranks right up there with July Fourth and Thanksgiving as one of my favorite days of the year. I get to wake up, roll out of bed and immediately do a few of my favorite things: ride my bike, munch on free breakfast treats and socialize with my fellow cyclists. What a delicious combination! While Bike to Work Day isn’t an official holiday (yet!), there’s a celebratory mood as both new and experienced bikers, adults and kids alike, ditch their cars, meet up at different sites around the county and enjoy a free breakfast together. Bike Month 2019, presented by Ecology Action, kicks off May 9 with Bike to Work Day. Twelve county wide locations will serve free breakfast to cyclists as an incentive for bike commuting. Credit: Karen Kefauver As an added bonus, some breakfast spots also offer free massage and bike tune-ups from local bike shop mechanics. This year’s May 9 Bike to Work Day happens at 12 sites around the county spanning from the base of the UCSC bike path to Watsonville’s Civic Auditorium. New breakfast spots this year include a first-ever “Mountain Bike to Work” gathering at the base of the Emma McCrary Trail on Golf Club Drive and at the just-opened New Leaf Markets in Aptos Village. But Bike to Work Day has significance beyond fresh bagels, succulent strawberries, nutritious energy bars, piping hot coffee and other yummy snacks. “It’s important to us to participate in Bike to Work Day because showing up is part of saying this is important,” said Santa Cruz resident Tricia Sven, mom to 5-year old Banyon. “It raises awareness and hopefully inspires more bicycle commuting. I love how much the staff of bike to work/school really help the kids feel they are doing something special” she said. This year, there’s even more to celebrate. For the first time, organizer Ecology Action is expanding the 32ndannual event from Bike Week to a full Bike Month and is introducing the Bike Challenge — a chance to win $7500 cash and an electric bike. Thousands of cyclists will enjoy a free breakfast on May 9, Bike to Work Day, as a reward for bike commuting. This year, there’s a new Bike Challenge with $7500 cash and an electric bike up for grabs! See details for entry: https://ecoact.org/biketowork/ Credit Karen Kefauver “For 2019, a big factor is the month-long bike challenge which means tracking the number of bike trips you take in May,” said Ecology Action’s Piet Canin, whose twin sister, KT Canin, launched the event 30 years ago as a UC Santa Cruz project. “It’s a major, big prize drawing for anyone over 18. Now there are 7500 reasons to ride your bike in May.” One of the key reasons that Tricia Sven and her husband Marc Sven believe in biking whenever possible is that it reflects their values of “being part of a community that cares about reducing car pollution, having fewer cars on the road and getting outdoor exercise.” Now, Tricia and Banyon, 5, bike nearly every day to his preschool near downtown Santa Cruz. “We had been living in Aptos the past years and when we moved close enough to bike, it felt like a huge relief to be out of the car and traffic. We do ride for fun in nature and around town for errands or going to the park when it is a distance our son can bike. Other times we try to use our electric bike (Ego) which is connected to a trailer he can ride in,” she said. Canin, the Vice President of Transportation at Ecology Action, noted that electric bikes in particular are “the new normal.” “Traffic is horrible and it’s getting worse,” he said. “Bikes help people go faster, farther and replace car trips which is good for the environment and community health.” As for me, I’ve barely missed a Bike to Work Day since I moved to Santa Cruz in 1993, so I’ll see you out there celebrating cycling on May 9! For more information on May 2019 Bike Month in Santa Cruz and how to register for the Bike Month Challenge, visit https://ecoact.org/bikemonth/. Karen Kefauver is a freelance journalist and social media consultant.

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