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The First Placement for our First Foster Child
The First Placement for our First Foster Child By Amanda Firth This is part of a short series about Foster Parenting and Adoption in Santa Cruz County. Proper names in the story have been changed for the privacy and protection of the children involved. We were ready for a new baby. There was a half size crib in our bedroom with green and yellow sheets and baby blankets, a few baby outfits, and a toy. That was it. Oh, and a new credit card that was only usable at Babies-R-Us. Honestly, we did not believe this was really going to happen. We had trained, interviewed, and been thoroughly prepared and…
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Foster Parenting and Adopting is Like Crossing the Sea
Foster Parenting and Adopting is Like Crossing the Sea By Amanda Firth This is the introduction to a short series about Foster Parenting and Adoption in Santa Cruz County. Proper names in the story have been changed for the privacy and protection of the children involved. I’m drowning over and over again. First there was paperwork, miles of forms and visits to our apartment by person after person. This mother walks the walk, adopting and fostering kids and taking on the toughest challenges. They arrived with briefcases, clipboards, forms, and delved into every cupboard and cabinet, every bit of history, and every personal value we had. They rifled through our…
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Downtown Felton Frolic
Downtown Felton Frolic By Christina Wise The downtown Felton area has taken a decidedly decorative turn in recent years. The southern stretch of Highway 9 (from the Graham Hill intersection) is dotted with darling shops that call to the eye of stylish dressers and the spirit of gift-givers. From the crystals and gems at Mountain Spirit to the vintage and consignment items at Tomboy Outpost to the carefully curated collections at Simpatico, shoppers are drawn to the homespun charm of Felton anytime of year—but especially in November. On Saturday, November 30th, Felton celebrates Small Business Saturday (a national movement to promote local shopping) by rolling out the red carpet with…
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Cabrillo Returns to Voters for Support This Spring
Cabrillo Returns to Voters for Support This Spring By Suki Wessling In 2016, local voters narrowly rejected a bond to improve Cabrillo College’s infrastructure. The argument against the measure seemed to focus on what current Cabrillo President Matt Wetstein, hired in 2017, calls “our reverse curb appeal problem.” “The college looks great from Soquel Drive, but we have all these decaying infrastructure issues,” Wetstein explains. Brad Kava interviews Matt Wetstien on Talk of the Bay. Photo by Kristin Fabos As an example, he details the headache of last summer’s emergency repairs to the building that houses the cafeteria as well as a variety of student services. A major sewer pipe…
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Behind the Scenes at American Idol
Behind the Scenes at American Idol By Lindsey Wall Early last summer, I opened my email to find an unread message from a talent producer who works for ABC’s American Idol. When I first saw it, I was in disbelief. I thought maybe this was a scam. But I soon realized this was a personalized email written to me. She wrote about a song I had written that she heard on Spotify and said she was taken by the writing and artistry. Santa Cruz Idol Lindsey Wall, 26, still has a day job selling flowers in midtown, but still travels the country as a singer/songwriter. Photo by Brad Kava She…
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Shop Green and Small on Small Business Saturday!
Shop Green and Small on Small Business Saturday! By Dyani West and Brooke Wright The busiest shopping season is about to start when families and Santa Claus will spend billions of dollars on clothes, electronics, and gifts for the family and friends. As more and more consumers are choosing to shop online with big businesses, countless packages are shipped from across the world, oftentimes wrapped in plastic and Styrofoam packaging that will go straight to the landfill upon arrival. Fortunately, there are ways that families in Santa Cruz can make a difference to help their communities and environment while enjoying a day in their community. Shop at local Certified Green…
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Guide: Santa Cruz Holiday Gift and Events Guide
Santa Cruz Holiday Gift and Events Guide Shop Small Capulet Downtown Felton capuletshop.com A curated shop in the Santa Cruz mountains featuring new, used, and vintage clothing for women, men, and kids. Also stocking a variety of wares by local artists and makers, and an extensive CBD and natural apothecary selection. This holiday seasons we have gifts for everyone on your list and we are super excited about our build your own gift basket section! Tomboy Outpost Downtown Felton Western wear and vintage clothing for kids, men and women. Find one of a kind treasures from out selection of curated jewelery and local artist. CC Apothecary ccapothecary.net Handcrafted, Felton based…
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Letters October 2019
Letters October 2019 Hello, My name is Séverine. I’m French and few days ago I was in California for my summer holidays. During my trip, I made a stop at Santa Cruz and I ate at Charlie Hong Kong. There, I found your September magazine, and the cover photography was so cool that I took one to realize a poster for my home. I wanted to put it on a frame. Only for my personnal use, only to have a souvenir. I love the California light on it, the color and even the typography and what’s written, school, grand parents… Anyway, I lost it at the airport … So today…
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He Lights up the Skies for Kids: Marc Monte Honored for Donating $4 Million to Schools
He Lights up the Skies for Kids Marc Monte Honored for Donating $4 Million to Schools By Brad Kava Marc Monte loves fireworks. That’s one of the reasons he came up with a yearly show held in October that has raised $4 million for local schools, libraries, sports fields and boatloads of other charities. When his father, Rudolph Monte, opened the gourmet supermarket, Deluxe Foods in Aptos in 1977, they donated $150 to a charity golf tournament, the Little Helpers Tournament. But they wanted to do more. So, starting in 1996, Marc came up with the idea of a fireworks show held at Seacliff State Park for which kids would…
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Behind the Masks: Aptos Man has Made Millions on Trick or Treating
Behind the Masks Aptos Man has Made Millions on Trick or Treating By Brad Kava There’s probably no one in Santa Cruz who likes Halloween more than Chris Zephro. A decade ago, he started his mask-making company, Trick or Treat Studios with $250,000 and some designers who knew how to make the creepiest masks. Today, this lover of all things spooky, sells $20 million worth of masks and collectibles from a Soquel warehouse. Chris Zephro has taken his teenaged daughter to meet stars like Rob Zombie and Ozzy Osbourne, when he does costumes for their shows. She still doesn’t think he’s cool, he says. We do. More recently, he branched…
