Rebirth By Lisa Catterall Every particle in the universe was once contained in an infinitesimal speck…a theoretical point in the void with no measurement. It must have been very heavy. After an explosion, the particles of the current universe moved rapidly outwards, gathering into tiny molecules then forming and reforming into more organized forms. In the smallest split second, the tiniest moment of this timeline, life on Earth existed and evolved and became the now, 2020. Some say it is the worst number yet. A complete disaster. A slowly filling “bingo card” of horrific and chaotic events. Yes, and… If you are a human being, like me, for whom the…
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Tips for Supporting Distance Learning
Tips for Supporting Distance Learning By Nicole M. Young, MSW When I was in college, I would not have enjoyed living and learning at my parents’ house. Even when I was in high school, I would’ve been miserable if all my classes were online since school was my social lifeline. Now, my house is a home/office/high school/college campus for two working parents, two students, two cats, and a never-ending pile of dirty dishes and laundry. I’m fortunate that my kids don’t need constant supervision, and they’ve learned to manage their own schedules and schoolwork. If you read my articles from several years ago, you’d know this was not always the…
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Editors’ Note Eating Out During Shelter in Place
Editor’s Note Eating Out During Shelter in Place We’ve been eating out more during the pandemic than we did in the past. Why? Well, let’s face it, when you are schooling and working at home all day, getting a meal out and seeing fellow humans in the flesh is the bright spot of the day.And when I say eating out, I mean that literally. We are going to restaurants with outdoor seating. Over the past months, we’ve noticed some restaurants have no clue how to serve families with kids. Maybe their usual clientele is mostly college students or people out to socialize and drink with friends, but families are a…
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You’re Already Ready
You’re Already Ready By Laura Maxson LM Most of the resources needed to cope with labor already exist within the pregnant body. Be open to the flexibility of whatever might work in the moment works best when surrounded by those who can help along this journey. Preparing for labor is often more about a mindset of trust than an elaborate plan. Simple can still be powerful. SoundIt is expected that labor will hurt. What might be unexpected is that by giving into the process, the pain can become a song in the body and the voice becomes a powerful instrument, taking the intensity of labor and channeling it down deep…
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Babies Truly Are Blessings
Babies Truly Are Blessings by christy shults Kristin and Scarlett Ember Mayya and Farris If having a baby during a pandemic wasn’t stressful enough, add being evacuated during an unprecedented fire. Moms have an inherently unique strength, and giving birth during crazy times is no match. In the middle of August, both Kristin and Mayya were preparing to have their babies, and then the lighting storms hit, lighting the mountains on fire, then the entire San Lorenzo Valley was evacuated. Kristin Mattoch was due with her second child on September 11, her birthday. After being evacuated from her home in Boulder Creek they moved around from hotel to Airbnb to…
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Local Nonprofit Launches a Crowdfunding Raise
Local Nonprofit Launches a Crowdfunding Raise Everyone Can Invest to Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis By Jeanne Howard If the subject is affordable housing in Santa Cruz County, the news is not usually good and not usually new. Now, there is a new strategy in town for creating more affordable housing, according to New Way Homes, a local nonprofit. New Way Homes (NWH) was founded in 2015, and has been jumping through hoops for the past four years to bring its first two projects through the design and planning approval phase. One has begun construction, and one will begin this fall. There are several innovative tactics to the “new way.”…
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Preparing for Fire Season
Preparing for Fire Season BY zach friend Given the recent devastation in our county it’s important to review some of ways you can prepare and protect your home and business from wildfire. One of the first things is to ensure that you have a home emergency and evacuation action plan – and practice it with your family. Cal Fire has a program called Ready, Set, Go! to help you create your own action plan. Here are some key elements: Get Ready Create a family disaster plan that includes meeting locations and communication plans – including how to evacuate large animals. Create an emergency supply kit (more info on that below)…
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Inside Education Monthly
Inside Education Monthly BY suki wessling Every year, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education welcomes a diverse group of locals—businesspeople, educators, government employees—to come together monthly and learn about education in Santa Cruz County. The program serves as a bridge between public education and the wider community, promoting understanding and connections to benefit both sides. Like our local schools, this year Inside Education has gone virtual. This year’s participants represent a wide variety of business and public sectors, including the public library, for-profit family-focused businesses (including two representatives from Growing Up), local museums, Cabrillo College, and social services. Inside Education explores the whole child from an educational perspective, with…
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Giving Birth in a COVID World
Giving Birth ina COVID World By Jeanette Prather To avoid Covid-ravished American hospitals, multiple news outlets, medical professionals, and online databases have reported a surge in home births amid a questionable medical future, especially in the beginning of this pandemic. “Mostly the conversations [with expecting parents] have been limited to how to switch to home birth in order to avoid the hospital setting during Covid,” said one local furloughed doula, mother, and Childbirth Educator for Sutter Health, Kaili Reynolds. “They’re upset that doulas aren’t allowed at their births and they feel like more professionals can provide the continuous support they know they need in the home setting.” Reynolds, who mentioned…
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Empowering Our Kids
Empowering Our Kids When we’re having trouble empowering ourselves! By Suki Wessling These are tough times to be a human on earth. And parenting magnifies all of our challenges. Not only do we have to figure out how to get ourselves through pandemic, fire, and corrosive politics—we’ve got our kids to think of as well. If you’ve found yourself descending into despair for the future, you’re not alone. Santa Cruz County is a hard place to be right now if you aren’t the world’s most stubborn optimist. But parents have the responsibility to raise kids who will be ready to tackle the problems they’re faced with. And that means our…
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Organize Your Holiday Decorations
Organize Your Holiday Decorations by Jhoneé Fillmore It is that time of the year that we listen to the holiday spirit within us, put on our game faces and prepare to transform our homes both inside and outside with decorations of all kinds. Decorating can be so much fun for the family but lets also mention that it takes some work. Game Plan Make a list of any supplies that you need to purchase or maybe something you need to rearrange or prepare ahead of time. Prepare The Space For me, I like to have a clean and tidy space before upheaving the many items from storage. Any items in…
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Bree Karpavage
Bree Karpavage Local Artist Local artist, Bree Karpavage uses the timeless art form of cut and paste collage as a way to process life. She fondly calls it her “soul work” and uses collage as a way to empower, heal and express her personal growth. Using mostly magazines both vintage and new, she cuts images that resonate with her and later combines them to create simple yet powerful artwork. “When I collage, I get in a zone…it’s hard to describe, I’m able to check out for a bit and tap into a more spiritual, heart centered space. That for me is empowering.” Bree lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is…
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The New Downtown Library is a Win
The New Downtown Library is a Win For Children, Teens, and Students By Martín Gómez, Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries As a library professional, I’ve seen, (and have had a hand in helping), public libraries evolve into places that build and foster civic pride, support community engagement and serve as a safe place for children, teens, and families. On September 11, 2001, I was the director of the Brooklyn Public Library. That day brings back difficult, but also inspiring memories that affirmed my understanding about the important value public libraries play during difficult times. Those of us who ran public institutions in New York City were faced with…
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The State of the Santa Cruz Real Estate Market
The State of the Santa Cruz Real Estate Market BY seb frey 2020 has proven to be a year like none in living memory, and with a contentious presidential election right around the corner, you know it’s going to get stranger. Yet in the midst of a global pandemic, nationwide civil unrest, and the sudden loss of many millions of jobs…a strange thing has happened to the Santa Cruz real estate market. The year started off strong. The fourth quarter of 2019 saw a market that was flagging–homes were taking longer to sell, and many sellers were making painful price reductions to get their homes sold before the holidays. But…
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Save Money Keep Your Computer Humming
Save Money and Keep Your Computer Humming by Luigi Oppido School is back in but your machine’s not running right! What can you do? Let’s go over these few steps that you can take on both your Mac and your PC to make sure that things are in the right place! That way when you start your machine, it’ll be there when you need it. One of the first things you can do is make sure the machine has not been asleep. This goes for both Mac and PC. This includes closing the screen and opening the screen (1 sleep cycle) or not going to the shut down button on…
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Is Halloween Really Canceled?
Is Halloween Really Canceled? BY christy shults Online neighborhood groups are filled with Halloween protest post. Has Halloween really been canceled? It is not. Like everything else this year, Halloween will look different from usual. Large groups are still not allowed, and this will dramatically affect parties and trick-or-treating. We posed the question to our readers and received a wide range of responses, along with some great suggestions on how to keep the magic alive. I think this year is for decorations! Let people walk or drive by and enjoy whatever spooky or fun creations you can put together. I’m so sad, I love Halloween and I love trick-or-treating with…
