Local News - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Passenger Rail Price Tag Estimated at $4.3 Billion

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:11:45 +0000

The proposed 22-mile rail/trail from Watsonville to Natural Bridges will cost an estimated $4.3 billion to build and as much as $41 million a year to operate, according to a new study released by the Regional Transportation Commission—figures more than four times the estimated costs released in 2022 during the campaign in which voters approved the concept with 70 percent of the vote. The RTC originally bought the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line from Union Pacific in 2012 for $14.2 million. Public meetings were held last Monday and Thursday to go over a draft report released June 6, in which it listed the costs and estimated ridership of 3,500-6,000 passenger boardings per weekday for the year 2045. “Boardings” and “ridership” refer to the number of times a person rides the train. A single person can account for multiple boardings in one day. The project’s new price tag is a divisive topic among community members. “We’re in this for the long haul and we know we’re years away from the community having to make funding decisions,” said Matt Farrell, the board chair for the interest group Friends of the Rail Trail. “RTC’s work helps us understand how rail transit could work and what it will take to make it a reality.” Farrell referred to the current progress being made on the project as “something we can all agree is great news.” Others are more skeptical. Bud Colligan, who works with Greenway—the local organization in support of preserving the rail and creating a trail over it—said, “The $4.3 billion is absolutely beyond the capacity of Santa Cruz County taxpayers.” The RTC should “invest in transportation that actually moves people,” he added, suggesting Santa Cruz METRO and ParaCruz as better options. Speakers at the Monday meeting from the RTC and the engineering companies HDR and Fehr and Peers reviewed the data presented in the Zero Emission Passenger Rail Trail or ZEPRT’s Draft Executive Summary. The summary was published Friday and details the RTC’s preliminary plans for the 22-mile rail system. HDR is a multinational engineering firm based in Nebraska that has offices in 15 countries. Fehr and Peers is a transportation planning and engineering firm with offices across the nation. They are headquartered in Walnut Creek. In 2023, the county secured funding to finance a study conducted by HDR, the preliminary results of which are presented in the Executive Draft Summary. It was expected that the full study would take about two years, and the Final Concept Report is planned for submission sometime this fall. According to the summary, the RTC projects a daily ridership of 3,500-6,000 boardings per weekday for the year 2045, although they plan to open the rail line sometime before that year. The train cars that the RTC plans to use will have a maximum capacity of 234, with room for 116 seated and 118 standing passengers. There is no exact figure for estimating weekend ridership, but it is expected to be lower than weekdays, which is in line with the RTC’s goal for the ZEPRT to primarily be used by commuters. The current plan is for the rail system to operate daily from 6am to 10pm, with train service every 30 minutes. The RTC estimates that it will take 40 to 45 minutes for the train to travel from the southernmost stop in Pajaro to the northernmost one at Natural Bridges Drive in Santa Cruz. HDR Project Manager Mark McLaren said the train could “operate safely” at up to 60 mph. One of the project’s long-term goals is to connect the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line to other rail systems in Castroville, Monterey, Gilroy and the Bay Area via the Pajaro station. An estimated 10% of riders would transfer in Pajaro, according to Fehr and Peers civil engineer Matt Haynes. The annual cost of operation, with trains running every 30 minutes, is estimated to be up to $41 million. Alternatively, if the trains were to run every 60 minutes, the estimated annual cost could be up to $21 million. There will be nine stations at the following locations: Pajaro, Downtown Watsonville, Aptos, New Brighton Road (intended for students of Cabrillo College), Capitola near Park Avenue, 17th Avenue, Seabright Avenue, Beach Street in Santa Cruz, and Natural Bridges Drive. The Downtown Watsonville and Beach Street stations are expected to have the highest numbers of weekday riders, with 800-1,200 and 800-1,500 daily boardings, respectively. Capitola Station and Beach Street are projected to have the highest weekend ridership. According to the RTC’s summary, the trains will be fully ADA compliant and will be able to accommodate multiple types of mobility devices and bicycles. Much of the discussion at the Regional Transportation Commission Meeting on Thursday was about how the county intends to finance the project. According to McLaren, there are two possible federal grant sources: the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration. McLaren said the FTA rarely gives grants above 50% of the cost, while the FRA has historically covered up to 80%. The county would apply on the condition that the ZEPRT is an inner-city rail system. RTC officials said the cost to the county could vary from 20 to 50 percent of the total $4.3 billion and the board voted for the RTC staff to prepare a report estimating the taxpayer responsibilities for each amount. According to RTC Executive Director Sarah Christensen, the largest grant to date that the county of Santa Cruz has received for the rail corridor was a $67 million Active Transportation Program grant in 2022. However, there are portions of the overall cost that cannot be funded with federal or state grants, and therefore must be paid for by the community—such as the annual operating costs, which could be up to $41 million. The county is also responsible for funding pre-construction environmental analysis, which could take about three years and would cost between $14 million and $16 million, according to McLaren. In a response to these conditions of the project, Commissioner Kim De Serpa said, “People are tired of shouldering the burden of communities that can’t make ends meet.” Commissioner Manu Koenig also questioned the financial feasibility of the project. Koenig speculated that the county would have to raise its sales tax rate from where it currently sits at 9.75% to as high as 12.5% in order to be able to fund the project and the operating expenses. That increase would make Santa Cruz County’s sales tax the highest in California. He called the expense a “crushing amount,” and said, “The pressure on our local sales tax capacity…would take all the oxygen out of the room for funding any other kind of service through sales tax pretty much ever again.” When asked if she thought the county could realistically afford the project, Christenen said, “If we prioritize this project over other needs, and we are serious about delivering this project, our team is going to figure out how to get it done.” De Serpa said she would not support “any effort to take money away from roads and infrastructure.” She said that the community has other transportation-related needs, such as a lack of sheltered bus stops and roads in need of repair. The projected expenses and ridership numbers are based on preexisting rail transit systems throughout the United States that the RTC deems comparable to the ZEPRT. Some of these systems include the eBART in the Bay Area, SPRINTER in San Diego, and the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART). However, the reliability of these comparisons is questionable. SMART initially projected a daily ridership of 5,200 in a 2014 forecast submitted to the Federal Transit Administration. Sonoma and Marin counties have a combined population of about 736,219. Santa Cruz County has a population of about 267,551 (according to the Santa Cruz County website), and the ZEPRT has a projected daily ridership of up to 6,000. SMART did not meet its anticipated daily ridership rate of 5,200. In a Draft Strategic Plan for the years 2025-2030, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District said “the SMART pathway averaged 63,610 users per month” in 2024, which is about 2,120 per day. They also said that one of their goals for the next five years is to “increase ridership to 5,000+ per day.” Commissioner Steve Clark expressed doubt about the accuracy of the RTC’s comparison of the ZEPRT’s ridership model to that of San Diego’s SPRINTER rail. Clark said that the Sonoma-Marin and San Diego metro areas have a “much larger population area,” and asked, “How do we get to that ambitious conclusion that we’re going to outperform those systems?” The original projected daily ridership for SPRINTER was 11,000 in 2012. During the fiscal year 2023- 2024, SPRINTER reported an annual total of 1,822,849 boardings, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. That’s an average of about 4,994 boardings per day. According to McLaren, stops at each station are expected to last about 90 seconds, approximately adding an additional 10 minutes to the total trip time for anyone traveling from Pajaro to Natural Bridges Drive. Two previously proposed station locations—at Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville and 41st Avenue in Capitola—were removed from the updated proposal. Although these are well-traversed areas, McLaren said they were withdrawn from consideration because of concerns about losing ridership over excessive travel time. The projected total cost of $4.3 billion is broken down into different categories. The previously calculated Conceptual Railroad Bridge Replacement and Rehab Cost of $980 million is now included in several of the cost categories listed in the Draft Executive Summary, the largest of which is titled “Contingency.” The Contingency cost of $1.283 billion is allotted for all of the unknowns regarding construction of the rail. The $980 million cost was calculated earlier this spring because 28 of the 33 bridges along the rail line need replacing to make the project feasible, and the remaining five need repairs. However, this amount does not account for other expenditures, such as rail construction and the implementation of signal systems. “At this point [the contingency] is essentially the insurance policy to make sure that as the project moves forward, there aren’t risks that come forward that would significantly impact the cost of the project in a way that’s detrimental,” McLaren said. The Final Project Concept Report will be submitted sometime this fall. By Isabella Blevins

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Celebrate Community at National Night Out

growingupsc — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 03:26:41 +0000

Mark your calendars and prepare for an evening brimming with community spirit, engaging activities, and delightful treats at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz. National Night Out is just around the corner, and the City of Santa Cruz is thrilled to invite you to this family-friendly event on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5 to 7:30pm. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign aimed at enhancing public safety, fostering community partnerships, and cultivating camaraderie to create safer, more caring neighborhoods. Held nationwide on the first Tuesday each August, this event unites law enforcement, public safety officials, residents, businesses, and community leaders. It offers a unique opportunity for residents to engage with city staff and learn about various city programs, partnerships, and initiatives dedicated to building a safer, more connected community.National Night Out in Santa Cruz offers engaging activities and entertainment that cater to all ages. Here’s a glimpse of what you can look forward to:

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Hands-On Display Lets Kids Transform into Drop of Water

growingupsc — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 22:50:30 +0000

Visitors to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center can experience the cycle of a single drop of water when they take part in Water’s Extreme Journey, a hands-on, interactive maze designed by Minotaur Mazes now through the end of the year. Water’s Extreme Journey maze takes visitors on a wild role-playing adventure where they are transformed into a raindrop and challenged to stay clean. Visitors are sent on a journey through mountains, streams and even their own backyards, where everyday decisions impact their chance of staying clean and reaching a healthy ocean. The maze also will highlight water research happening at UC Santa Cruz and in the greater community, and encourage people to support clean water initiatives. Features within the maze have been tailored to represent Santa Cruz County water issues. Exploring the maze is included with admission to the Seymour Center, located at 100 McAllister Way in Santa Cruz. The Seymour Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Gifts for Care Facility Residents Become a Holiday Helper by giving to the often forgotten care facility residents in Santa Cruz County. It’s the time of the year when our community comes together to ensure that all have a special and memorable holiday season. Please help us to make the holiday special for our seniors and let them know they are remembered! Holiday Helpers is now accepting donations and wrapped gifts and will do so through December 7th. Gifts suggestions include new lap blankets, scarves, slippers, slipper sox, socks, shirts, lotions, calendars, crossword puzzles, word search, adult coloring books, etc. Please mark packages male or female, with sizes, ready for delivery to the care facility residents. It’s nice seeing the smile on their faces when they open up their gifts! Cards as well as cash donations are appreciated. Please drop off all gifts between 9am and noon, Monday through Friday, through Dec. 7. For further information and drop off options at 831.459.8917, Ext. 205.Cleveland.n@fsa-cc.org.www.fsa-cc.org. CDRC Mapping Tool Identifies Child Care in Santa Cruz County The Child Development Resource Center, a program of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, is a one-stop source for Santa Cruz County families seeking child care. Recently expanded resources now include two interactive mapping tools that show the location of licensed child care centers and family child care homes. One tool, MyChildCarePlan.org is now a statewide source of child care information. These maps not only enable families to easily find and connect with their local providers, they help to highlight opportunities to add new providers to better meet families’ needs for accessible child care. Provides are encouraged to list their business for free with the Child Development Resource Center, which then allows families to be referred to their programs. Providers also can receive help becoming licensed and get connected with resources like health and safety raining, professional development, community connections and more. Child care providers can visit the Child Development Resource Center’s new website to add or update their business listing. They also can tap into resources and reach out to staff with questions. Visit childcare.santacruzcoe.org or call 831.466.5820. Group Raises Money for Preservation of Castle Beach Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks announced a community-driven effort is underway to share the history of Castle Beach, an earlier name for what is now part of Seabright State Beach. Perched above the entrance to Seabright Beach across from Mott Avenue was the Scholl-Mar Castle, which was built in 1929. The castle welcomed visitors for almost 40 years, offering beach fun with everything from volleyball, umbrellas and a snack bar to oceanview dining and hot saltwater baths. Friends, in partnership with the Seabright Neighbors Association, California State Parks and generous donors, is working to tell the story of this beloved beach’s history through the placement of beautiful, informative, bilingual signs, as well as replacing the unique castle-shaped gate at the park’s entrance. “We’re proud to be part of this community project to tell such a uniquely Santa Cruz story,” Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks Executive Director Bonny Hawley said. The goal is to fabricate and install the new gate and two signs, one English and one Spanish, at Seabright Beach next spring. To fund the effort, Friends working to raise $19,000 by year-end 2022. Supporters can make a donation to support the project at www.thatsmypark.org/castlebeachproject.

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Teens Have Chance to Volunteer on Trails

growingupsc — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 22:40:30 +0000

Throughout January, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship will host “Teens on Trails Month”, a series of free, youth-only trail work events across the county to get kids outside and involved in the magic of trail stewardship. SCMTS is a nonprofit trail stewardship behind popular trails in parks like Wilder and Pogonip, and their team has deep expertise in building and maintaining trails throughout the region. These Teens on Trails events will fill up fast. At each event, students will learn about native species and ecological functions, get involved in trail maintenance activities, and connect with SCMTS’ professional team to learn about career opportunities in the outdoors. They’ll also earn community service hours, have fun and win some prizes. Students do not need to have any prior trail work experience in order to attend. They simply need to show up in sturdy shoes and long pants, and bring their own water and a good attitude. SCMTS staff will teach students all they need to know. Spending time in the outdoors can transform a young mind, and ignites a sense of adventure and connection to nature. Kids will learn all about trails, make new friends, and win some awesome prizes. They’ll also learn about nature within the Santa Cruz Mountains and find inspiration to become caretakers of this land.” On Martin Luther King Day of Service, January 16, SCMTS is hosting a larger Students’ Dig Day event and celebration at DeLaveaga Park. Dig Days are SCMTS’s flagship events, where the entire day is catered and there is a raffle at the end. Dig Days are typically six hours long, making them the perfect event for the weekday school holiday. At the end of January, all participants will be invited to an ice cream social to celebrate their hard work. These events are free to attend. Check out the list of events at santacruztrails.org/tot. Saturday, Jan. 7 at Arana GulchSaturday, Jan. 14 at University Connector TrailMonday, Jan. 16 MLK Day of Service Dig Day at DeLaveaga ParkSaturday, Jan. 21 at Watsonville Slough TrailsSaturday, Jan. 28 at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

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Santa Cruz County Children Improve their Oral Health

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 04:53:57 +0000

Life is better with teeth. You can eat, talk, make friends, and, as you get older, get a job. It’s not easy for everyone to have a healthy smile, especially for those struggling to get by. The good news is that things are better, especially for children, than they were six years ago as confirmed by Dientes Community Dental Care’s newly released study, the 2022 State of Oral Health in Santa Cruz County. Yet, there is a continued gap in dental care for low-income residents where 82,000 people had Medi-Cal, but only 38% could go to the dentist. There were some gains over the first study done in 2016 – 8,000 more people have Medi-Cal and 6,000 more people were able to go to the dentist. Still, 51,000 people were not able to make an annual dental visit – nearly the total population of the City of Watsonville. Because of a focused education effort around “first tooth, first birthday, first dental visit” in our community, Santa Cruz County is doing dramatically better than the State for children ages 0-2! A whopping 57% of low-income Santa Cruz County babies and toddlers have an annual dental visit versus 25% for the State. And, our County has seen a 60% jump in utilization for this youngest age group, as compared to the earlier study. We are seeing the longer-term benefits of this program in kindergartners who start school with fewer cavities because parents have received oral health education for their children and because kinders have a relationship with a dentist, a dental home, when they begin school. Nearly 1 in 4 children (24%) started school with cavities in the 2016 study, a number which has reduced to fewer than 1 in 5 children (18%) in 2022. Alas, as young children age there is an alarming decrease in the number of people going to the dentist. The highest proportion of people on Medi-Cal who go to the dentist are children between the ages 6 to 9. At 68%, this means nearly 7 in 10 children 6–9-year-olds go to the dentist. As children enter the tween years this rate falls to 62%, then 52% for teens, 32% for young adults, and finally to 21% by age 21, where 2 in 10 people are going to the dentist. This rate stays low throughout adulthood, increasing slightly after age 30. While this trend mirrors the state of California, it is concerning given the correlation to not seeing the dentist and costly treatment needs as people age. Dientes EVP of Operations and Co-Chair of Oral Health Access, Dr. Sepi Taghvaei, calls parents and guardians to action, “The most important things that you can do to stop this trend is to make sure your children go to the dentist for their annual dental visit and to continue to promote brushing and flossing at home.” The study revealed that the largest increase in access to care was for adults, with 5,000 more adults who have Medi-Cal going to the dentist. Yet, the proportion of adults who go to the dentist is still very low — 75% of adults with Medi-Cal were not able to receive care. Considering an equity perspective, Hispanics have the highest utilization of dental benefits for low-income residents with Medi-Cal at 48%, followed by Asians 33%, Other 30%, Native Hawaiians / Pacific Islanders 23%, Blacks, 22%, and Alaskan Natives / American Indians 21%. Dr. Sepi Taghvaei reacts to the findings, “This study is critical to align resources behind the greatest needs in our community. Oral Health Access has made a concerted effort on educating parents about oral health, promoting the application of fluoride varnish in well-child medical visits, and making sure kindergarteners have a dental home. We are proud of the results for our youngest residents. Building on these successes, we are looking at how to move the needle for other important groups.” For more information and to view a summary and the full study go to:oralhealthscc.org/findings Dientes Community Dental Care’s mission is to create lasting oral health for the underserved children and adults in Santa Cruz County and neighboring communities. 96% of Dientes’ patients live at or below the poverty level. Dientes accepts Medi-Cal and offers sliding scale fees for uninsured patients.

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Be a Part of the Giving Revolution

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 04:44:41 +0000

Thanks to you — residents of Santa Cruz County — Santa Cruz Gives raised more than $1.1 million for a wide variety of local nonprofits during the winter holidays last year, and we’re gearing up to launch this year’s campaign. It runs from November 16-December 31. The projects that will be presented are the most diverse yet, and they cover every area of the County. Whatever you like to support, you’ll find it at SantaCruzGives.org: education and vocational training, the environment, homelessness, mental wellness, the disabled, the arts, youth, seniors, animals, local news, LGBTQ+, and more. Donations increased by 64.4% in 2021 over 2020 — and have increased just as dramatically or more every year since the campaign was founded in 2015. Reports from nonprofit participants demonstrate just what we hoped would happen with Santa Cruz Gives: Because of the online platform and the public exposure that nonprofits gain through the Santa Cruz Gives campaign — which are beyond what any could afford or achieve on their own — the ripple effect is larger than the campaign itself in terms of stimulating fundraising countywide. Many donors are giving throughout the year as well as during the “Gives” campaign, and many have become volunteers. It wasn’t easy to learn about the nonprofits toiling away to improve YOUR neighborhood until SantaCruzGives.org put them all on one convenient site. Each has its own page that succinctly describes what they do. So much of their work is about preventing problems or mitigating problems that it’s often not noticed out in the real world that they make safer, more equal, more tolerant, more pleasant, or perhaps cleaner community. Another heartwarming result is that many of these organizations had little contact with one another prior to SC Gives. We gather in two annual meetings where they get to meet, and many are now collaborating — sharing ideas and learning from one another. Santa Cruz Gives proves every year that a rising tide does lift all boats. No salaries, rent or basic overhead is paid by donations, so your gifts are efficient. And keep in mind that we all benefit from what we give. Santa Cruz Gives is a gamechanger for countywide fundraising, so please join in to keep the momentum going! Three big heart emojis to 2022 sponsors (more will be confirmed by mid-November):Good Times, The Volunteer Center of SCC, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, The Applewood Fund, The Joe Collins Fund, Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, The Pajaronian, and the Press Banner. Donate at SantaCruzGives.org | November 16, 2022 – December 31, 2022

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Model UN

growingupsc — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 14:01:50 +0000

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 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. From this foundation, additional regional conferences can be organized. This training conference is open to middle and high school students, including those who are homeschooling. Participants will be separated into two tracks during the skill-building component of the conference. Conference organizers will provide an orientation to Model UN, skill-building workshops on research techniques, speech writing and public speaking, and will conclude with a mock debate. Participants will hear from an expert on regional sustainable agricultural practices so that they can understand how the larger global issue of sustainable agricultural practices occurs in our own community. Certificates of participation will be provided.Mount Madonna School is requesting $20 per student, but if this fee presents a challenge, please contact me at (408) 846-4029 or mun@mountmadonnaschool.org to discuss; Mount Madonna School’s goal is to make this conference possible for as many local students as possible. ContextModel UN is practiced by close to half a million middle, high school and university students around the world each year. It is a popular and engaging way to learn about complex global issues. In a MUN simulation, students assume the role of a diplomat of a foreign country and look at an issue or problem through the lens of their “adopted” country. Students then work together to forge consensus around a resolution that addresses the issue. It is both highly academic and inherently social, making it a fun way to learn about complex, multi-faceted issues. Skill DevelopmentPublic speaking and debate are most commonly associated with MUN participation, but there are other academic and soft skills that grow through Model UN participation. To successfully participate in MUN delegates must know their issue well, understand multiple perspectives, argue their point of view and be open to compromise. These include highly targeted research, writing policy briefs and resolutions, working towards consensus, active listening, negotiation and advocacy. This skill development occurs while exploring real-world issues like climate change, food security, gender equality and equal access to justice. Participants take deep dives into these content areas while simultaneously developing the skills needed to convey a particular viewpoint and find consensus that drives real solutions. Action and ImpactMount Madonna School’s MUN program focuses on the ways in which global issues play out in our region. A larger discussion on water scarcity and climate change has very real impacts on agriculture and tourism in the Monterey Bay region. Model UN can drive awareness and action on these issues by pointing students in the direction of key stakeholders and most importantly how they can be involved in actively creating change in their own communities. Lisa Martin is the lower school director at Mount Madonna School and is actively involved in the school’s Sustainable Development Goals initiative. She has spent the majority of her career overseas, teaching in the Middle East and southeast Asia. She has led a number of Model UN organizations and is an advocate for open, accessible global education opportunities for youth. She currently lives in her hometown of Watsonville.Use this QR code to register for the conference: Mount Madonna School Model UN Training Conference | Zero Hunger and Ensuring Sustainable Agriculture | October 8, 2022 Read More Parenting Articles

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Local Profile Juggler

growingupsc — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:39:06 +0000

Life’s A Juggling Act So Why Not Buy the Right Equipment? By Kimberly Hickok As a quirky, eclectic beachside community, it should come as no surprise that Santa Cruz is home to Renegade Juggling, a small, family-operated business that is one of the biggest manufacturers and retailers of juggling and circling equipment in the country. Since 1982, owner, founder, and juggler extraordinaire Tom Renegade has been using his juggling and manufacturing expertise to craft and sell every kind of juggling device or circus prop you can imagine. If you need a rechargable LED lit juggling ball, he’s got them for $33 each. How about a Fire Devil Stick for twirling on the street? Yup, it’s only $45. Flying Hats go for $110 and he’s got DVDs to teach you all the tricks you need. Here’s what Renegade had to tell us about his company and the art of juggling. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) How did you get into the sport and make a business out of juggling? I got interested in juggling initially from going to renaissance fairs around California when I was in high school, but I didn’t really get into it until I joined a juggling club at UCSC. I got a degree in geochemistry, but when I graduated from the university I thought I’d rather do something with juggling. So I started making juggling equipment. When I was in highschool in Redwood City I took a plastics technology class as part of an occupational training program, and then I was the TA for that class for a few years. I knew all about plastics manufacturing from this class and realized I could just make the juggling equipment I wanted, so that’s what I did. What made you decide to stay in Santa Cruz to start your business? Because Santa Cruz is the best place to live. Everybody knows that! Did your business immediately take off? It was just a hobby business at first, and it took a long time for this to be a real business, I would say at least 10 years. It was very difficult pre-internet because there was no way for a small business to advertise or to market anything. So I would go to juggling festivals and meet people and they would juggle and tell their friends about my business. That was the only way that I could sell stuff. If someone wanted to buy some juggling equipment pre-internet, they had to know somebody, or know somebody who knew somebody. It was way different – guerilla marketing, really. But the juggling festivals are really fun, so that kept me motivated. Why do you think kids should learn juggling? It’s good for building self esteem because kids learn to do something by themselves that other kids can’t do. If you can juggle, you have a specialized skill. And if you can accomplish something that’s a little bit complicated and takes a lot of practice, like learning to juggle, then you start to realize that other things aren’t so out of reach, even if it’s something unrelated to juggling. It’s also good for developing motor skills, and can help kids learn other sports that involve catching and throwing, or anything that involves coordination – even something like bowling or golf. And it’s good for the mind because it takes concentration and focus. Plus it takes research to figure out, and kids have to be self-motivated because they have to practice to get better. But the great thing about juggling is that you don’t have to be gifted to do it, you just need to persevere. Anybody can learn it. In fact, a lot of jugglers I’ve seen over time are generally clumsy people! Why do you think parents would be interested in juggling? A great thing about juggling is that parents can also participate and learn alongside their kids, and the kids can be better than the parents at it. I think that’s an advantage for the kids, because they can show their parents how to do it. That makes it special because usually the parent is better at whatever they’re doing, but kids can experience this role reversal with juggling that builds their confidence. What is your advice for kids or adults who want to get into juggling? Nowadays you can teach yourself and learn everything by watching videos on YouTube. But also look into things locally, because there’s all kinds of different circus schools and circus camps that are great for kids. Juggling resources: Check out Capitola Mall’s Cirque, Tumble, Cheer for free juggling classes every Tuesday at 6:30 pm. (Not during the summer, sadly)Visit Juggling.org to learn about juggling festivals and clubs around the country. The JCC in Los Gatos also offers circus summer camps for kids in grades 1-8. Check out their website for more info: campshalomjcc.org/specialty-camps-2021/ Read More Parenting Articles

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Got Shrimp?

growingupsc — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 19:30:04 +0000

Santa Cruz Company Replaces Styrofoam with Shellfish By Jeanette Prather As a mother of children, every time I think about what we’ve done to this planet and the plastics in the ocean, I just wish we could’ve had Cruz Foam about 20 years ago Innovative IngredientsAn innovative Santa Cruz-based company–with backing from two big Hollywood stars– is replacing Styrofoam packing peanuts with the waste from shellfish to create an organic foam that’s durable, light and actually good for the environment. Realizing that Styrofoam doesn’t decompose for 500 years, Cruz Foam founders came up with a formula that decomposes in two months and still protects packages. The mix uses a biopolymer–DNA, protein or cellulose – known as a polymeric – found within living organisms. “There’s no residual solids leftover about a month later,” said John Felts, Co-Founder & CEO of Cruz Foam. “What’s interesting is the regeneration and nutrition left in the soil. On a large scale, germination seeds and one-inch pods are dropped into the environment and our product is a good replacement to help germinate those seeds.” The shellfish polymer in question is known as chitin, and it retains the soil’s nitrogen, which makes it a good composting material, added Felts.“Our formula is a trade secret, but we share that it is a foam that includes natural ingredients like starches and chitosan processed from sustainably caught shrimp shells,” said Leslie Nakajima, CMO of Cruz Foam. “[Polymer is] naturally occurring plastic-like materials found in nature.” Cruz Foam, has drawn interest from actors Ashton Kutcher and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have taken investor and advisor seats. “Aston and Leonardo are actually very savvy investors and businessmen,” said Nakajima. “They are active in environmental issues globally.” In a huge shift for an industry whose material have become omnipresent with the growth of home deliveries, Cruz Foam’s product breaks down and leaves high-quality organic waste that serves as a nutrient rich compost or biogas used for electricity. “[The packaging] market, alone, needs a widespread revolution,” said Felts. “The timing is really scary with what’s going on with our planet.”Cruz Foam is reaching out to major companies such as Pepsi, Whirlpool, Ford and Sony. “We’ve had a lot of interest from some of these big-name companies like Pepsi,” said Nakajima. “We’re doing some exploratory work with them currently.” The Cruz Foam Crew“With [DiCaprio and Kutcher] involved, there are a lot of influential people along supply chains that can really help bring us the technology,” said Felts. “What those two have really done, has helped us to get our products in the hands of the right people.” The rest of the team includes co-founder and CSO, Marco Rolandi, and Toby Corey, executive chairman & COO. Additionally, the company’s team of advisors is made up of a colorful group of people, award-winning global campaign manager Chuck McBride, and former Santa Cruz mayor, Hilary Bryant. “As a mother of children, every time I think about what we’ve done to this planet and the plastics in the ocean, I just wish we could’ve had Cruz Foam about 20 years ago,” said Bryant. “I’m so proud that we’re developing this product right here in Santa Cruz. It’s so timely. “I knew about Cruz Foam in their infancy, when they were still talking about surfboards, which are one of those products that have a short lifespan; if it breaks, it goes into the landfill. It seemed like a great idea back then but tackling the packaging industry is even better. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been out surfing and have pulled out so much plastic. It just hurts me seeing so much waste on the beaches.” How They Got HereLike a lot of things in Santa Cruz, Cruz Foam got its start with surfing.“In the beginning, the idea stemmed from surf boards (literally we had wanted to create a new type of board), but then it evolved into the need to remove this horrendous plastic garbage from the oceans and blanketing the earth,” said co-founder Felts, who received his graduate degree from UCSC and then went on to get a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. “I went from wanting to be a petroleum engineer to working with the environment. I met our co-founder six years later in Washington, and that’s where the original idea of Cruz Foam came. ” Cruz Foam co-founder, Marco Rolandi, was teaching at the University of Washington, Seattle, where Felts was working on his master’s degree at the time. Bonding over surfing, the two realized that they wanted to continue their working relationship, so when Rolandi transferred to UCSC to teach, Felts followed. The two realized that they could expand beyond renovating surfboard materials, and so they began widening their scope into the packaging industry. “About two-and-a-half to three years later, we were tinkering around to find something that was commercially viable,” said Felts. “Nobody likes to work with Styrofoam, it’s not a great product,” said Felts. “Other sustainable foams just didn’t work well either, so we started to team up with some of the major electronic companies like Whirlpool to find a solution.” Scaling and What’s Next on the Horizon“Probably, the first new industry that we would take on, is the food-based packaging manufacturers where Styrofoam is currently being used,” said Nakajima. Added Bryant, the former mayor, “They’re transforming and changing what we do now, right now. How have we made such a mess of the planet? We can’t rely on our children to fix it; we need to do it now. Cruz Foam is making the right kind of change.” Read More Parenting Articles

The post Got Shrimp? first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Growing Healthy

growingupsc — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 20:38:08 +0000

Generations: Nourished By Suki Wessling The stakes for teen foster youth are high. Once they reach eighteen, they leave the system. Unless they were lucky to be placed with families who taught them solid life skills like cooking, they enter adult life knowing little about food. “To your stations!”The children come into the room full of playground energy and loud voices. They chatter as they don their aprons and wash their hands. But as soon as they’re assigned to their stations they become as focused on their tasks as a chef in a restaurant. Because these kids are chefs Their Live Oak classroom has been turned into a kitchen where the kids wear aprons, use knives, and make healthy food together. “I was having a conversation at Live Oak with the woman who is the Director of Childhood Education and she said that their Wellness plan had no nutrition education listed in it at all,” remembers Nourishing Generations Executive Director Karen Haralson. “There’s no time set in the course of the day or in any curriculum that they teach nutrition.” That’s when the Nourishing Generations staff and volunteers joined the Live Oak afterschool program, where kids learn about nutrition through games and cooking—hands-on learning that really soaks in. With the CORE grant they just received, they are strengthening a program that children in the district look forward to year after year. Spreading the word about nutritionNourishing Generations, originally started at Bowman College by nutritionists and chefs with a sense of community, has a single purpose that it now spreads in several directions. “We invented ourselves and got our own 501(c)3, and that’s when we just started rock and rolling and started expanding beyond children,” remembers Nancy Birang, cofounder of the organization who is now the board president. “We started going to other members of our community who needed the same type of support.” Those community members now include families in low-income housing, women with cancer, and young adults who are transitioning out of foster care.“I have found over the years that I can’t just assume that people know anything about nutrition or about cooking,” Nancy explains. “One of the best questions I ever got was from one of the transition-age foster youth. They said, ‘Do you need to eat fat?’ And it was such a great question, because there’s this taboo around fat.” The stakes for teen foster youth are high. Once they reach eighteen, they leave the system. Unless they were lucky to be placed with families who taught them solid life skills like cooking, they enter adult life knowing little about food. And food choices can make all the difference, Karen explains. Diabetes is a national epidemic, and we spend enormous amounts of healthcare money on it. But early dietary interventions are much cheaper and more effective in the long term.“These types of diet lifestyle intervention programs are not glamorous and they don’t generate profit,” Nancy points out. “They take money, but it’s been proven that it’s just as effective as taking medication.”The problem, however, is the system. Nonprofits or graduate students get short-term grants to do well-meaning work in their communities, and then the funding dries up. “You’ll go in for six weeks, do a program with a group of kids, collect some data. And then this person gets their Ph.D.” It’s the dirty work that sticks“It’s a kinesthetic mode of learning, for kids it’s best,” explains Darcy Chown, the All-Site Supervisor for Afterschool Programs in Live Oak. “Once they’ve done it, they can do it again. Whereas if you’re just telling them about it, or they’re just watching, they’re not quite sure.” Darcy says this standing over a table full of elementary school kids using knives. They use the tools carefully, seriously, and sometimes skillfully. One boy says he makes tamales with his grandma. Another struggles to choose which hand should hold the knife. It’s clear which kids cook at home, but even the kids who don’t are game to try and open to suggestions.At another table, kids are grating cheese with sharp hand graters, and at another, one girl lovingly pats her raw pizza dough over and over, delighting in its yeasty cushiness. Volunteer Alexis Underwood, a retired teacher, says the pay-off is what she hears from the parents. “Taking their mom shopping and saying, ‘Don’t buy me this. Let’s buy these vegetables and fruit’.” One of the parents reported that her child wouldn’t go to bed until she’d eaten every color of the rainbow.Supporting cancer treatment with nutrition. In collaboration with WomenCare, NG works with women on ways that they can support their return to health through nutrition. This program has also been threatened with Covid-related funding cuts, when local big spending foundations like PAMF started sending their money in other directions. But just like working with kids, the payoff for the small investment is huge. “If you have a cancer diagnosis, you go on this rollercoaster ride of treatments and side effects and you go from appointment to appointment to appointment and you feel so powerless and out of control,” Nancy says. “So what is under your control? What you eat and what you drink.” “We’re not going to get rich doing this!”In the end, the staff at Nourishing Generations—both paid and volunteer—do their work with a sense of devotion to their cause. They go out into the community and see firsthand how important their programs are to individual people. Karen will never forget a child she worked with in Watsonville. “We went in and it was pretty chaotic—there were a couple children with special needs but we were just treating them the same as every other child. The teacher came in afterwards and he says, “I’ve never seen that child focus on anything, you know this child has special needs and behavior issues.” “They just never gave him a chance.” For more information: Learn more at NourishingGenerations.org. Even if your child is not in the program, you can access their fun cooking instructional videos through their website. Suki Wessling is a local writer and mom of two young adults who love to cook. You can listen to the podcast of the interview she did with Nancy and Karen at The Babblery: Babblery.com. Read More Parenting Articles

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