September 2020 - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Build Your Classroom

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:37:04 +0000

Build Your Home Classroom BY Jhoneé Fillmore As we enter another school year, we may need to be prepared for full or partial distance learning. Do you need some ideas on how to physically set up your “home classroom” in order to make it a feel-good and efficient learning environment, even if this is a temporary setup? You know your child and home best so mix and match ideas that will best suit you and don’t forget that if something isn’t working… mix it up again. Set Up BaseWith some experience from the end of the school year, I suggest setting up a base location for your students. This is where you can begin each day and students can feel as if they are officially stepping into the classroom. This is a good transition from “home” life to “school” life under the same roof. Once you have achieved this mindset, your family can choose each day to stay in the base location or mix it up. Mix Up Your LocationDon’t get stuck in the same spot everyday. Try to rotate spaces in which your kids are working to keep the ENERGY FRESH! Even if you are space limited, you likely have access to a few spots you may not have considered. You don’t always need a table either as clipboards are awesome portable surfaces. Luckily, my house has enough space for my two boys to travel around in. Some of our favorite spots: dining room table, front porch steps, backyard table, garage, train/LEGO table, individual small desks in playroom, reading on the couch, finding a tree to lean against or any soothing nook. You may also have various spots being utilized at once by different children. After working together in a group space for some time, I am able to let my kids have this freedom for parts of their schooling. If I plan to give one child a project that he can complete with little or no help, I can join my other child in a different space whereas I am very active in his learning. Visa Versa. Separate spaces also work well when one child needs silence while the other is working out loud. Tidy & Visually PleasingKeep your whole family motivated by two factors:One, aim to create a space that is tidy for your students to work in regardless of the size or location. A tidy space reduces frustration and anxiousness and promotes creativity and clear thinking. Two, get creative in your space and have it feel fun and/or educational. You could create a circle time wall, hang some art, letters of the alphabet, chalkboard, dry erase board, etc. Have your kids help make the space feel invited and inspirational. Designate a Teacher HubMost families need an adult to administer the learning game plan. I mentioned that the learning area itself be mixed up to keep us all refreshed, but what about the place we pull from and store our items? Designate one spot that is accessible and efficient. Create a space within this space that is child specific. Give each child a binder, separate folders or separated bins that contain a spot for: academic calendar, class expectations, assignments, workbooks, book, logins/passwords, completed work, reference materials (site words, multiplication table, tracing sheets), flash cards, scratch paper and their necessary electronics. Within this space, hang a calendar for you (or older children) to reference weekly or monthly agendas including online engagements, deadlines, and planned activities for each child. Portable SuppliesI quickly discovered that though our home already had a system for supplies, it wasn’t cutting it for our classroom needs. Gathering and returning these supplies daily from their usual areas wasn’t an effective way to spend my time as a teacher. I decided to create a classroom tote that is easily taken to a new space. Example items: pens, pencils, markers, crayons, erasers, dry erase markers, rulers, tape, glue, scissors, etc. Reuse & Waste LessAny opportunity I get I will insert paperwork into a plastic sleeve and use a dry erase marker so that we get multiple uses from a worksheet. Also, in a folder, I save all papers in our house that are no longer needed and only have print on one side. The backsides are awesome for solving math problems, cutting, drawing and creating our own worksheets. Saving paper and ink is worthwhile. RefuelingBe creative! Make sure that you pause work to get some fresh air or move around. Since we have the flexibility to get silly, we sure do. My older son does circles on his bike and answers a math flashcard every time around while my younger son does laps around the garage once he completes a worksheet. Now my kids are just stalling on their next school task, but it gets them moving. Remember to feed the brain by offering snacks. My favorite non-messy items include smoothies, cut up fruit, bananas, cheese sticks, pretzels and goldfish. Need a more specific suggestion? Email me at hello@thedavenportcompany.com Be well. Best, Jhoneé Jhoneé Fillmore, Owner, Missplaced Organizing visit her blog thedavenportcompany.com/missplace

The post Build Your Classroom first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Family Computing Bits

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:31:38 +0000

Family Computing Bits By Luigi Oppido Hello, Everyone! My name is Luigi Oppido, owner/operator of Pleasure Point Computers and the new host of the super-special tech column here in Growing Up in Santa Cruz! Every month we’re going to open up this section to questions that you have about your technology, your computer, your phone, and anything that has an on switch! We will discuss it! You can reach me by email at Luigi@ksqd.org for any of your tech questions! What kind of things are coming up in the new year that will help you with school? What are some of the pitfalls that you can fall into when being online for school? Millions of people every day are trying new programs and doing new things in these unprecedented times. Let’s help you learn that new tech and excel with all these new devices! New technology doesn’t have to be scary and that’s what I’m here for. I have an extensive 25-year background in tech and I’ve owned my own computer repair shop for more than nine years running. With a background in computer securities and failure analysis, my experience and your questions will help get the most out of your machine. I’m excited to be a part of this incredible publication! Let’s try a quick restart tip! We’ll take a step to allow your machine to actually restart instead of going into what’s called an advanced hibernation state. Your programs are expecting a shut down and without it you might get system instability. On a Mac, go up to the Apple on the top left of your screen, click on it and click on ‘restart’ like you’re going to restart the machine. A new dialogue box will appear in the center of your screen. In the dialog box, it asks you (with a check box) if you want to re-open windows. You do not! Make sure this check box is unchecked. On a PC, go into your power settings and uncheck ‘fast start-up’ to allow the advanced hibernation state to be turned off, allowing your machine to properly restart. Another thing people don’t ever do is to check for updates. We are always on our machines using our machines and not maintaining our machines. These machines need maintenance and by maintenance I mean updates. On a Mac, go to the Apple and then click on the App Store for system updates. It will also be under your System Preferences. On a PC, at the start menu click on the Settings card and then go to Update and Security and click on the ‘check for updates’ button. Look forward to more each month. We will answer questions like: Why has my wireless printer stopped printing? Why is my Internet so slow when my friend’s Internet is 10 times faster? Why is my machine so much slower than when I bought it? Why do certain websites load and other times, they don’t? Has my password changed? Did someone hack my account? How can I tell if I’ve been hacked? Do people even get hacked anymore? These questions and more are just some of the things that we’re going to be talking about here in the Computer Man segment. So get yourself grounded, fire up that Teslacoil and let’s get those electrons flowing! Try me with your best tech questions! Let’s get together and make your technology work for YOU! Email Luigi@ksqd.org. Visit Luigi Oppido at 1824 Soquel Ave. STE-B, call him (831) 464-2220, email Luigi@PleasurePointComputers.com or visit his website at PleasurePointComputers.com Listen to the Computer Man Show! Every Tuesday night from 6 to 7 PM on 90.7 FM KSQD, and KSQD.org

The post Family Computing Bits first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Coping

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:21:57 +0000

Coping and Recovering After Traumatic Events BY Nicole M. Young, MSW When I started writing this month’s article, the biggest concern for many parents was starting the new school year with distance learning because of rising COVID-19 cases. Families and educators alike were worried about teaching and learning and working from home – or, for many families, wondering how to keep their kids safe during the virtual school day while they had to work outside of the home. It was a daunting challenge only a couple weeks ago, but now it’s been compounded by the devastating effects of the wildfires. My heart goes out to all those who lost their homes, pets, and precious family items – as well as those who had to evacuate and live with the fear and uncertainty about losing their homes. Here are some tips for coping and recovering after the wildfires. Remember there is no “right” way to react to traumatic events. Each person’s experience with the wildfires will be different – even within the same family. Some children and adults will express their emotions openly and reach out for help. Others will keep their feelings private and try to “keep it together” because they fear that their emotions will spiral out of control. Some people will find it helpful – and even healing – to focus on the concrete tasks of replacing items, finding housing, rebuilding homes, or getting back to work. Others might become overwhelmed by their emotions or growing “To-Do” list, and even routine tasks like getting out of bed or eating can suddenly seem impossible. These are all common reactions to trauma and loss – and one person could experience the full range of emotions and reactions from one minute to the next. Take care of yourself. This may seem impossible to do if you’re in temporary housing, dealing with insurance claims, or worrying about how to feed your family. And yet, it’s critical to find ways to rest and renew your physical, mental, and emotional energy. Recovering from a traumatic event like the wildfires will be a marathon, not a sprint. Even giving yourself 5 minutes each day to meditate, cry, sit in silence, or take a short walk can make a difference. Reach out for help from a counselor, pastor, or other support person if you need to vent or express intense emotions with someone who isn’t also trying to deal with their own grief or anxiety about the wildfire. Give kids lots of affection and invite them to express their feelings. Kids will have many feelings – even if they didn’t lose their homes – including anger, fear, sadness, confusion, guilt, depression, or anxiety. They might cry, have emotional outbursts, become fearful about being away from their parents, or have difficulty sleeping, eating, or concentrating. Kids might appear fine and resilient one day (or minute), then have a complete meltdown the next. Encourage kids to express their feelings through talking, reading, drawing, singing, playing, writing, texting, crying, or even screaming. Return to familiar routines, or create new ones. Consistent routines create predictability, which can be very reassuring in stressful times. If you’re staying in an unfamiliar place, look for ways to create temporary routines that feel familiar. Talk, play, read, sing, eat, or cuddle together during mornings, mealtimes, and bedtimes. Those routines will be emotional anchors that can help your family get through each day. Try to limit kids’ exposure to distressing news and images. While it’s important to stay informed, and media coverage about the wildfires can provide a valuable teaching moment, it can be confusing and stressful for kids to see repeated news or hear adult conversations about a traumatic event. They might believe the wildfire is happening again or relive their fear and anxiety, even if they are not in any danger. Young children might not understand what’s being said, but they can sense and “mirror” (copy) their caregivers’ emotions. Older children and teens who see distressing photos, videos, and comments on social media could become worried and anxious, imagining all the worst-case scenarios that could happen if there are more wildfires. Final ThoughtsThe recent wildfires have been devastating and traumatic. And yet the community’s generosity and readiness to assist both friends and strangers has been inspiring. I hope this is what our children remember about the wildfires, long after the flames are extinguished.This monthly column provides tips for raising children, based on the world-renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, available to families in Santa Cruz County. If you have a question or idea for a future column, please email me at triplep@first5scc.org. Nicole Young is the mother of two children, ages 16 and 20, who also manages Santa Cruz County’s Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, the world’s leading positive parenting program. Scientifically proven, Triple P is made available locally by First 5 Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (Mental Health Services Act) and the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. To find a Triple P parenting class or practitioner, visit http://triplep.first5scc.org, www.facebook.com/triplepscc or contact First 5 Santa Cruz County at 465-2217 or triplep@first5scc.org.

The post Coping first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Baby Photo Contest

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:07:39 +0000

Your baby could be on the cover of our October issue! Sponsored by Beth Lillienthal Postpartum Doula SantaCruzBabyDoula.com see contest rules below You know you have the cutest baby in the world and now you can let the world see. Enter by Sept. 14. We’ll have voting at here Sept. 15-18. One vote per person. Must be under 1 year old and born in Santa Cruz County. ENTER CONTEST

The post Baby Photo Contest first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

September Coloring Page

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:58:46 +0000

September Coloring Page Skavenge Art BY Selena Zontos You can order Skavenge Art’s 43 page book of images to be colored and writings to be pondered. A collection of Selena’s works from the last years put together in the most intentionalal way. This is a book to now be completed by you! Hardwood cover bound together by hand. Heavy weight drawing paper.Order on her etsy shop etsy.com/shop/HealinginNature

The post September Coloring Page first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Selena Zontos

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:54:54 +0000

Selena Zontos Local Artist Santa Cruz Mountains. My work is has been an ever-evolving journey of learning and creating. I continue to be inspired by the mystic nature of the local landscapes and wildlife. The paintings tend to be about our connection to each other and the natural world. I received a Bachelor of Fine Art from San Jose State. My experience there was fundamental in me trusting myself as an artist. From there it took some time before I really found my path in what I call “Living a Life Uncommon.” Making a path where there isn’t one, and trusting the unfolding of it. I now have a gallery and shop in the heart of downtown Felton. I use this as my studio space and workshop as well. The name of the space and the work, Skavenge Art, came from a pivotal moment in my journey. It became a defining piece of the puzzle. Come by for a visit to see works in progress, my process, along with the finished collection. You can visitSkavenge Art at 6245 Highway 9, Felton Ca 95018 and shop online at healinginnature.etsy.com. Follow Selena on Instagram @skavenge_art Color one of Selena’s drawings here.

The post Selena Zontos first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

COVID Update

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:48:31 +0000

COVID Program Updates By Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor, District 2 As we continue to face health and economic challenges related to COVID-19 many in our community are looking into programs and services to provide assistance. While our community overall is faring better than many portions of the state and country, we’ve seen a significant increase in cases in the last month and also continued high levels of unemployment (or for those that are employed – reductions in hours and pay). Here are updates on some programs and information that might be of interest during this time. Rental Assistance Program Created The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to provide $1 million in CARES Act funding for local rental and utility assistance in order to prevent unincorporated residents from losing their housing during the pandemic. The original CARES Act funding wasn’t designated for counties of our size but the state did allocate some of the funding to us and this is an eligible expense. With significant unemployment and, at the time of this writing, lack of clarity on additional federal assistance for unemployment and other financial impacts, the Board felt this was an important step to prevent some community members from entering homelessness. Details are being finalized for applications and eligibility so if you have questions feel free to reach out to me at 454-2200 or go on the County website for updates. Great Plates Program Extended Great Plates Delivered, which brings meals to over 600 local seniors during the pandemic, has been extended at least until September. The program is is run through the Human Service Department of Santa Cruz County, in partnership with local community based organizations, and is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of California with local support from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. The program provides up to 3 meals daily from local businesses for seniors who are 65+ (or 60+ and high risk) that live alone or with one other program eligible adult, are not currently receiving assistance from state or federal nutrition assistance programs and have an annual income of less than about $75,000 for singles and $101,00 for 2 person. If you want to see if you’re eligible you can call (831) 454-4406. County COVID-19 Website Updated With Data And Resources The County’s dedicated website to all local COVID-19 information has been updated with additional data. The site, www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus – has daily case counts (including active cases), demographic breakdowns, hospitalization rates, spread rates, testing counts as well as new information for businesses (employer toolkits) and more. Additionally, the site has information for parents looking for childcare, the latest information on health orders and other links to resources. County Business Blue Check Program The launched of a new program to help inform the community about business safety by providing a public health endorsement to businesses that are following safer health and safety practices. The Blue Check Program is a voluntary program giving businesses that follow public health guidelines for staff and customers, signage endorsing their operations. Participating businesses will be given a unique “COVID-19 SAFER, Blue Check” display to post near entrances. This help residents know about businesses that are attesting to protocols from the Health Officer including enforcement of physical distancing, requirements for face coverings, disinfection of shared equipment and limits on the number of customers in a store. The program is voluntary and open to all Santa Cruz County businesses. Complaints about non-compliance with participating businesses should be emailed to bluecheck@santacruzcounty.us. Business can obtain the sign via the Office for Economic Development website, sccvitality.org. As always, I appreciate any feedback you may have on this (or any other County issue). I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at facebook.com/supervisorfriend and during the shelter-in-place order I’m hosting tele-townhalls with County, State and community leaders. If you’re interested in the town halls or just want to connect on an issue you can always call me at 454-2200.

The post COVID Update first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Creative Distance Learning

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:41:47 +0000

Creative Distance Learning By Jeanette Prather As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage through communities and shuttering human gathering locations like schools, many families are finding themselves at a loss for how to juggle it all. Some parents have gotten creative with intended pod learning, pulling former teachers out of retirement, or even schooling in nature. “After struggling with all of the back-and-forth of what ‘school’ would look like this coming school year, I had decided that no matter what I wanted my son Mason to have, first, a break from me being as his teacher, and second, some kind of social interaction,” said local working mother of two, Devon Obert. “I began to have conversations with four other moms from Mason’s kindergarten class about a possible home instruction ‘pod,’ as they’re being called.” Obert referenced the group meeting a few days per week to utilize the co-op situation as well as possibly bringing in a tutor or two. Their dilemma was space. “We had a few zoom meetings discussing social distancing, health and safety precautions to be considered, possible enrichment additions like science and nature hikes, music, and art lessons,” said Obert, who also mentioned the onset of anxiety from additional exposure to people outside of her immediate family. “It was like a tangled web of exposure and the anxiety crept in. I kept thinking about the few friends and family we see and have seen thus far, and the exposure we could be adding to their lives, or the reality that we would have to trade our pod ‘family’ for our real family. I finally made the choice to pull the plug on the pod early August.” This wavering approach as the beginning of school drew closer appears to be a popular one. Some parents have really taken to the idea of pod learning or even hiring furloughed school staff and students to assist with instruction, but in addition to Obert’s concerns, there seems to be a growing divide in regards to privilege and social justice among pod families. “If you are a relatively privileged person seeking a pandemic pod because you simply cannot imagine working less, the solution you seek might not be a pod, but a rethinking of the unrealistic expectations of ‘work’ our current economic system is placing upon us,” wrote Medium.com columnist, Shayla R. Griffin (PhD, MSW) on July 23 in an article titled, “If ‘Most Students Should Stay Home,’ What Do I Do with My Kids?’” Griffin, referencing an article she had written previously about social justice and the education system, doesn’t necessarily discredit the idea of “pandemic pods,” but explains that parents should be lobbying and “marching, or calling, or emailing, or tweeting, or Facebooking, or zooming, or figuring out who in your circles of privilege knows some senators,” to try and eradicate any of the social inequalities that currently exist and may worsen as a result of this pandemic. With Santa Cruz County’s school district mandating distance learning indefinitely for the immediate future and/or 2020 – 2021 school year, there is no question that parents need to get creative, whatever that might look like. One resource that some local parents are turning to for creative solutions to this intensely unique dilemma, is Facebook. The private Facebook group, Santa Cruz Moms, outlines some of the options and potential solutions from hiring high school straight-A students to moving the curriculum to a secluded park for tactile learning.“High schoolers will also have a more flexible schedule and may not be able to work their regular after school jobs as things get shut down,” proposed one mom sure if this violates any privacy laws]. “They may be available for back-up help or tutoring in the afternoon.” Another mom is offering up her recently converted spare bedroom to a classroom for small group instruction as well as a comprehensive afterschool enrichment program. “We will be doing a rotation of hiking, sports, workouts, dancing, singing, art projects, etc.,” she wrote to the Facebook group, referencing the use of outdoor space. “Newsletters will be sent out every Sunday with an exact schedule of what we will be doing.” In addition to the robust thread in the Santa Cruz Moms Facebook group, other distance learning resources include DistantLearners.wixsite.com (a start-up education business out of response to the fall 2020 school year not opening for in-person instruction), SantaCruzLearningCenter.com, and WolfSchool.org (a non-profit outdoor-based educational program and camp facility), to name a few. Of course, most of these resources come with a fee. And what about preschools? Daycare facilities? As of July 20, all schools were mandated distance learning with Superintendent Munro announcing, “School districts, charter schools and private schools are now required to provide distance learning instructional services only.” However, the grouping of care facilities that hold Community Care Licensing (i.e. those considered daycares regardless of an educational curriculum) fall under the Department of Social Services and could remain open. “When the shelter-in-place order first began in California in March, childcare facilities were only available to the children of essential workers, like nurses, grocery store clerks, child care providers and farm workers,” wrote EdSource.org in an article published on July 17. “But in early June, childcare facilities were allowed to reopen for all children, if they meet health and safety guidelines like wearing masks and keeping children in small groups and six feet apart, as much as possible.” Whether pod learning, homeschooling, nature school, or daycare, there’s no doubt that this school year will be one to remember and hopefully lay the foundation for a more sustainable education system in the future.

The post Creative Distance Learning first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Left Behind

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:35:14 +0000

Think this Generation will be Left Behind? Think Again. By Suki Wessling I keep hearing the same thing over and over: Our kids are going to have “gaps.” They’re going to be “left behind.” Permanently scarred. Unable to have a “normal” college education. And it makes me wonder: are we really so entitled that we think a little pandemic can keep our kids down? Here’s a thought exercise:Remember the holocaust generation.Think about what it was like for Jewish kids in Europe. A few common experiences included being hounded by the police, hiding for months or years in basements and attics, being forced into concentration camps, fleeing in the trunks of cars, arriving in unfamiliar countries with only the clothing on their backs. Moving outward, consider all children in Europe. School disrupted on a regular basis. Near starvation for many of them. Homes in ruins, school in rubble. Losing parents and grandparents. Still further, children in the United States. Seeing their fathers go off to war. Living on rations. Losing teachers and community members to the war. Knowing that the last thing on any adult’s mind was making life perfect for kids. These are the people who built the modern world.These kids who lived through World War II are the people who put the first human being on the moon. These are the people who designed modern computers.These are the people who innovated in every branch of study, from linguistics to neuroscience. Are we really so entitled?Yes, this pandemic is awful. We have not yet seen the full effects on our health, on our government services, on our jobs. This pandemic is going to touch every aspect of our lives eventually. But to say that just because our kids have to learn on a screen for a short while longer, we’re ruining their lives? Really? We can do this.Kids are resilient. Research shows that having a perfect, smooth childhood is not actually the best thing for them. They need something to push back against. People respond to obstacles with creativity. Families are creative. Yes, this is not what you were planning to do with your year. I had a year like that. When my younger child was four, we realized that they hadn’t yet designed a school that was going to work for him. I considered the first day of kindergarten my “first day back to my real life.” Instead, I was at home full-time with a kid who needed more than I thought I was prepared to give. But we did it. And you can, too. Remember what you still have.Caring teachers who are working their asses off trying to learn a new mode of delivering education. Schools that are groaning under the weight of constantly shifting expectations but still doing what they have always done—trying to educate our kids.Amazing online tools to support you, challenge you, and expand your vision of what education can be. Networks of other parents who are in the same boat. In the past, homeschoolers had to look far and wide for a support system. You’ve got yours built into your PTA or your Facebook feed. Make the most of this time.It will be over before you know it. We’ll be back to “normal” sooner than you expect. This will only happen once (we hope) so take advantage of this time to get creative and support your kids as best you can. Suki Wessling is a local writer and teacher who homeschooled and schooled her two children, now grown. She writes about education, homeschooling, and parenting. Read more at www.SukiWessling.com.

The post Left Behind first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

COVID Campers

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:31:25 +0000

“COVID Campers” and Bikes in High Demand By Jeanette Prather Maybe you’ve seen it for yourself on the road or read it in a newspaper, but if not, you’re about to be clued in. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable surge in RVs (the blanket term meaning ‘recreational vehicle’ and classifying all motorhomes, towable campers, fifth wheel campers, and truck campers) as well as bicycle sales around Santa Cruz and across the nation. “Without a doubt we’ve been feeling the recent surge in RV sales,” said Santa Cruz’s North Bay Ford RV manager Joe Punzi on his way to an RV showing. “It’s always been a challenge to find good quality used inventory, but especially now when I do it doesn’t last more than a few days. That’s been the trend.” According to the RV Industry Association and a private study conducted by the Kampgrounds of America (KOA), 34 percent of US and Canadian campers believe that road trips will be the safest mode of travel even after stay-at-home orders are lifted, which the RV Industry Association predicts will boost the number of American road travelers to 46 million by next year. “The RV Industry Association also found that 20 percent of US residents surveyed have become more interested in RV travel than flying, tent camping, cruises, and rental stays amid coronavirus concerns,” wrote Brittany Chang of the Business Insider on June 13. In the beginning of June, Santa Rosa RV who typically sells an average of six RVs per week, sold a record 22 in one week, which is more than they sell in one month, according to an ABC7 news report. “In general, dealers tell [ABC7] that sales have doubled. It’s a seller’s market driven by a shortage of units after COVID-19 closed the RV factories,” reported Wayne Freedman. RV sales are not the only ones seeing a dramatic increase. Somewhat unrelated but equally as relevant, bicycles have grown more popular. “I called Scotts Valley Cycle Sport to get my son’s bike wheel fixed, and they gave me an appointment one month later saying that they were all backed up until then,” local father, Eric Bent commented. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in bike sales and bike orders by about 200%,” said Scotts Valley Cycle Sport’s sales manager, Caro Gomoz-Villafane. “We weren’t busy at all the first and second weeks of the COVID shelter-in-place orders, but then suddenly it’s been a pretty stable increase in demand. So much that we opened a full warehouse and hired 12 bike builders to meet the demand.” Gomoz-Villafane said that aside from an inventory dip prior to Cycle Sport opening their warehouse, they’ve been very fortunate not to suffer through a lack of inventory leading to a lack in sales, which she mentioned some other bike shops have experienced. “For a while before we opened the warehouse, our sales floor was pretty bare, but the idea is to keep up the demand in sales, so we started to build more bikes,” said Gomoz-Villafane. “Overall, we’ve been very lucky and have staff with great attitudes and high spirits.” One bicycle service technician named Ian from Bicycle Trip in Santa Cruz, mentioned that they were so busy and backed up with bikes that he didn’t have time to stop for questions. “Correct, we’re that busy, which is good” he said, “but I’m just that backed up.” A Los Angeles Times article in June mentions protests as one of the reasons the Bay Area can’t keep stocked. There is, of course, the physicality during SIP orders and a growing tension with mass travel in the face of COVID-19. “In the Bay Area, families are inundating roads with cycling outings,” the article, titled “Bicycles have enjoyed a boom during the pandemic. Will it last as car traffic resumes?” According to PeopleForBikes data, bike sales were up substantially from last year — 65 percent greater than year-to-date 2019,” the article said.With the astronomical demand in bicycles since the COVID pandemic, bike manufacturers have needed to (2020 catch phrase alert!) ‘pivot’ their manufacturing tactics. According to Medium.com writer Larry Kanter, the second-largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, Trek, is trying to set the trend in meeting demand on the supplier’s level. “[CEO John Burke] and his team drilled deep into Trek’s vast supply chain, gauging the capabilities of suppliers, in most cases doubling its orders for handlebars, frames, wheels, and other components,” wrote Kanter in an August 3 article on Meduim.com titled, “Inside the Company Trying to Solve the Global Bicycle Shortage.” In addition to numbers forecasting that helped conversations with overseas suppliers, Trek turned to small bike retailers and helped them curate a tailored experience for their customers, essentially ensuring the customers were treated with utmost care and service. “This is not a blip,” Burke told Kanter. “People want to be outdoors. They want to exercise and they want transportation that’s not a bus, a train, or a trolley. You have this massive issue of climate change — and consumers actually wanting to do something about it.” With personal travel and vacation transportation booming, suppliers and retailers well positioned to handle the surge will side-step the rest of the economic recession. Airplanes, cruise ships and buses might remain empty for now, but bicycles and recreational vehicles are all the rage with no sign of slowing down. “I’ve worked in the bike industry for 13 years and have never seen anything like it,” said Gomoz-Villafane. “I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon.”

The post COVID Campers first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.