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Scaredy Cat
Scaredy Cat Submit your coloring page for a chance to be in our paper [email protected] More Coloring Pages
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John McKinley
John McKinley Local Artist Hello! I’m a cartoonist and illustrator from Aptos specializing in fun and quirky characters. My work has appeared in many publications, including the picture book Monster Academy and the popular Ready, Freddy series from Scholastic Books. I started drawing at a very early age and always knew I wanted to be an artist. Drawing skills improve with practice, so I recommend kids keep a sketchbook handy. When you fill up one sketchbook , start a new one! You can really see improvement over time. I will be participating in the Santa Cruz Arts Council Open Studios Tour in October. I’ll be open the weekends of Oct.…
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Financial Savvy
Five Estate Planning Myths by Shelli Strahle As parents and as partners, we work hard to provide the best opportunities for our children and to make sure our partners will be okay if something happens to us, but are we following through when it really matters? Myth #1: My child is protected because I have life insurance.You took out a $500,000 life insurance policy. Life insurance is a great way to provide liquidity in the event of your untimely demise. However, life insurance will not pay out to a minor. In the absence of a living trust with an adult trustee in charge, the funds will be frozen until an…
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Fall Craft
Spooky Fall Creations By Carmen Clark There are so many fun Halloween projects to do; from costume making to home decor, it’s hard to know where to start! These two paintings are simple and fun, and hopefully, the supplies needed are already in your art box or easily attainable. Both these projects use watercolors, which really allows the colors to overlap and create layers of colors. Watercolor and Crayon Spider Web Materials: White paper, white crayon, watercolor paints Because crayon is made with wax, it repels water, so when you put crayon on paper and then paint over it, the water will leave the crayon alone. This is especially fun…
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Model UN
Model UN Training Conference for Local Students Hosted by Mount Madonna School By Lisa Martin Model UN is found in a handful of schools in the region, but there is an opportunity to expand this offering by helping students learn the academic and debate skills needed for successful MUN participation. On October 8, 2022, Mount Madonna School (MMS) will host a one-day Model United Nations (Model UN or MUN) Training Conference, with a singular purpose: introducing Model UN to students, grades 6-12, and developing a network of schools interested in bringing this exceptional educational program to more schools and students in the region. Model UN is found in a handful…
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Teach Peace
Teach Peace By Lisa Catterall One exercise we had to do was to use a long list of “invisible privileges” to rate ourselves and our own privilege. It was painful on an empathetic level, and for me, as a woman, and as a person who identifies as bisexual, on a very direct level as well. Many of the privileges on the list are ones that I didn’t have due to one or both of those statuses in my own life. Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do… nothing to kill or die for –John Lennon At the beginning of this year, our administration announced that the school would…
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Pregnancy Health
Pilates for Motherhood by Sandy Novembre& Amelia Foster DPT The foundation of Pilates teaches core control, breath and alignment. Understanding body awareness and form are an essential part of strengthening a Diastasis Recti, tending to pelvic floor health and improving posture. The props in a mat class or springs on the pilates equipment give both assistance and resistance to challenge muscles at their full length. Each exercise brings focus and intention to how you move your body. An integrated workout will leave you feeling elongated and connected. Physical Therapy and Pilates for prenatal and postpartum care helps with pregnancy comfort, ease of delivery and a resilient postpartum experience. As the…
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Roots and Love
Roots and Love The RC Family Collective By Laura Maxson, LM Families in south Santa Cruz County are getting excited about a new center opening this month. Raíces y Cariño (Roots and Love), also called the RC Family Collective or RC Fam for short, will be providing services to families based on diversity, inclusivity and equity. This endeavor, headed by Nora Yerena and Juliana Reyes, is a labor of love. Both have deep ties to Watsonville. As a teen, Juliana immigrated to Watsonville from Mexico with her family. She worked for years in education and social service agencies in this community, which is dear to her heart. Her husband, a…
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Doula Profile Beth Lillienthal
Beth Lillienthal, Mama Extraordinaire by Carmen Clark Beth has been to a lot of one-year-old parties, and often when she leaves her job, people have tears in their eyes, tears of gratitude, and tears of sadness. They don’t want her to go. As a post-partum doula, Beth is a professional nurturer. She explains that doulas have areas of expertise or strengths that help mothers and the whole family get used to a new baby in the house. Beth offers breastfeeding counseling and is a lactation consultant. She visits the home as a support to the family, whether for an hour at a time or a full day; she’ll counsel on…
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Happy Diapers
4 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Disposable Diapers BY Molly Ressler Choosing the right kind of diaper is an important decision and is a matter of baby’s comfort, your personal preference, time constraints, budget, and for some, environmental impact. Photo courtesy of REDYPER™ Powered by EarthBaby It’s a fact that babies go through a lot of diapers. And we’re talking A LOT. From age 0-3, the average baby will go through up to 7,000 diapers. That means we’re throwing an estimated 20 billion disposable diapers into the trash every year in the U.S. Diapers are the third largest contributor to U.S. landfill sites in volume where they take 500+ years to…
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Tips for New Parents
Tips for New Parents Nicole M. Young, MSW Every year on my kids’ birthdays, I retell the stories of their births and lives as newborns: endless hours of painful contractions, difficulty breastfeeding, sleepless nights, nonstop crying that could only be soothed by turning on the vacuum, and immense and deep love for them. It’s partly a humorous way to remind them of how much pain and effort it took to bring them into this world (there’s a reason why it’s called labor). But it’s also a way for my husband and I to remind our kids of how much we’ve always loved them, even before they were born, and to…
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Leo Tischler
About the Cover by tina tischler Leo Tischler was named for his strength and determination shown from the very beginning. During the early weeks of pregnancy, Tina Tischler, (Leo’s mom) was told by doctors that her pregnancy was non-viable and a miscarriage was expected. During an ultrasound weeks later, they were surprised to find a healthy baby growing in her belly! After feeling many different emotions from the news, happiness set in and their pregnancy was back on track. At that time, Tina and Damian Tischler (dad) knew this baby was meant to be part of their family and the name Leo stuck. Things felt normal for a while and…
