One of my main reasons for buying this magazine four years ago was to help me be a better parent. With all of the experts writing for us and all the input from families across the county, I figured I could get answers to all the questions I had about raising my now 7-year-old son. It turns out, however, I have far more questions than answers. I guess, like all families, I feel like I’m guessing about what to do and hoping I get it right. I’ve got challenges and questions and would love some feedback from you readers. Consider it a homework assignment and think about how much you…
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Pet Guide
Looking for the perfect place to pamper your pet? We’ve got you covered. Center for Animal Protection and Education (CAPE)Santa Cruz, CA & Grass [email protected] Center for Animal Protection and Education works to save the lives of individual animals who are older or have special needs and to educate people about ways in which they can change their own lives to alleviate animal suffering. Our concept of compassion extends to all beings. Compassion without Borders1130 Butler Ave, Santa [email protected] Without Borders was founded in 2001 by Christi and Moncho Camblor with the vision to provide a brighter future to animals in need on both sides of the border. CWOB works…
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How Are You Going to Celebrate Mom?
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Turning Nightmares into Bliss
This morning, Jaime McFaden’s 6-year-old daughter Sofia came into her room in tears after having a nightmare. Her dream – that her mom was taken onto a pirate ship and killed by pirates. “I think the greatest legacy that I can leave my daughter is that every moment of every day is a gift,” said Jaime, 37, who lives in Capitola. This is a conclusion that Jaime came to after her father died of alcoholism when she was just 18 years old.The death of her father caused a mindset shift in Jaime, after watching him be seemingly unable to control the decisions that made him sick in the first place.…
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Santa Cruz Riders Make Debut on National Stage
The horse-riding women of Santa Cruz’s White Rock Interscholastic Equestrian Association were shocked and ecstatic when they won a slot to compete in the biggest national riding competition in the country by one point. The team, which practices at the Monte Vista Christian’s equestrian facility in Watsonville, won the slot for a trip to North Carolina at a tightly contested regional competition in Paso Robles.Five of the team’s 11 women—all about 16—gathered enough points of the season to move onto the biggest competition. Three of the most seasoned equestrians: Paris Mahoney, Cavan Smith, and Meagan Mejia have honed their skills with IEA since middle school; while the other two riders…
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Drawing Guns in the Classroom?
What began as a simple weigh-in from Bay Area parents on whether kids should be allowed to draw guns with historical figures in schools, exploded into much larger topics on what is deemed inappropriate, policy consistency, societal dysfunction and personal expression in and outside of the classroom. There is no blanket law in the state of California on what is and what is not allowed to be drawn in schools, rather, it’s up to the discretion of the individual teacher. This is just a preliminary discussion on this topic, let’s keep it going… CONSISTENCY IN THE CLASSROOM“School districts are not given standards on what age can be drawing guns; there’s…
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Where Do Babies Come From?
By Laura Maxson The stone goddess pictured here is open mouthed, likely emitting a full throated roar as she opens herself to give birth. This is the face of birth. It is uncommon now to see such instinctive and primal behavior. This archetypical birth goddess has at once been humbled and empowered. Her face, transformed by labor’s intensity, becomes the face of all birthing people. Features soften as they revert to a more primitive existence – based simply on survival. Breath by breath, and contraction by contraction, she goes so deep within her body’s power that she becomes one with it. Giving birth with all the power of the universe…
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Self-Care Is Essential
This year will be the first time in 23 years that I won’t spend Mother’s Day with at least one child in my home. My youngest child is away at college, and my oldest is traveling with a friend (With what money? I don’t know, but that’s a topic for another article.). It’s bittersweet. When my kids were younger and I was an exhausted parent, the only thing I wanted for Mother’s Day was the chance to sleep in and have a break from parenting duties for the day. Now that they’re older and more independent, I would cherish the chance to be woken up by their smiling faces and…
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Coloring Contest
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Coloring Contest Winners
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When the County was Ablaze, Alaniz Gave Coffee to Firefighters
In a world ruled by big corporations, Eddie Alaniz had the radical idea to take charge of his own fate. Eddie built the brand Coffee Conspiracy, deriving inspiration from the idea of cultivating community and using coffee as the vehicle for counterculture. Eddie set out in Aptos on a bike armed with homemade cold brew and coffee beans in July of 2020. Born and raised in Campbell, Eddie, 40, first fell in love with coffee at 17 when he got his first job at Peet’s Coffee. He was immediately enamored with coffee culture, and now roasts his own coffee at a co-op in Oakland and sources his beans from single…
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Finding My Name
The text notification on my phone said “Hello Corvinrock,” and I immediately thought, “Who is this? And how do they have my number?” Then, I noticed my name was misspelled as Corvinrock instead of Corvinrook and I thought “Oh gosh, the spam bots have learned my name. . . sort of . . . should I be concerned?” I finally clicked on and read the whole message and my thoughts changed to “Are they sure they have the right person?” When it sank in, that I was really nominated for a Queer Youth Leadership Award, and this was no mistake, I was very surprised. I was quite honored and very…
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Two Women Share Their Journey of Adaption
Melissa Come Back, recently released by Atmosphere Press, is a dual-narrative memoir chronicling two women’s paths through the foster care system. In the book, Melissa, a smart and resilient 11-year-old raised in an abusive household, runs away from the comfortable foster home Patrice and her husband, Bob, provide. Twenty years later, an unexpected encounter at a fundraising gala propels them back together, forcing both of them to confront their individual failures. When, after their reunion, Patrice discovers that the adult Melissa and her pre-teen daughters face eviction, she and Bob are presented with an opportunity to make Melissa part of their family once again. Patrice Keet and Mellissa LaHommedieu, the…
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Protect Your Pooch from These Hazards
The last thing any dog owner wants is for their beloved family pet to experience a life-threatening emergency. Unfortunately, dangers to dogs lurk everywhere, and often, they’re things we’d least likely expect. Proof of this is in the 213,773 calls to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center during 2018 alone. Add to this, hundreds of thousands of pets are treated for or die from a wide variety of preventable accidents each year. The following are just a few of the common hazards with which dog owners should take precautions. Chip & snack bags. Numerous dogs and cats suffocate to death in chips and treat bags each year. A survey by Dr.…
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Tiny Turtles Tell Tales
A friend of mine who used to be a student called me from college the other day. He asked me to look at his astronomy homework. I thought it was perfect, and he told me he called because he didn’t do it. In fact, none of his classmates were doing any of their homework. They were using Artificial Intelligence (AI).He felt conflicted about it. In high school, he and I had long conversations about why students cheat, and he really needed to talk to an adult about this. I was honored, I said, and I wasn’t all that worried, in terms of the future of education. I told him that…
