John Louis Koenig, Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy, Richard Stockton, Colleen Murphy, Tovah Petra Kolodinski, Jaime McFaden, Gwyneth Holcomb, Monica Menard, Celine San Luis, Sadie Maher
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Bobbi Jo Palmer
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Ann Fitts Sophie Veniel Bob Pursley, Monica Gutierrez advertising@growingupsc.com CONTACT US
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P.O. Box 3505, Santa Cruz, CA 95063
JULY 2026 | VOL. 30 NO. 7
Printed by Folger Graphics.
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Don’t Turn Your Back on the Ocean Editor’s Note
There are many, many important things in this current issue, but the one I want to call your attention to, as a matter of life and death, is Richard Stockton’s article about sneaker waves.
Sneaker waves is a term that sounds too frivolous, but please, please pay attention. Two young women were killed by them last month in a place many of us have visited and been so astounded by its beauty that it was easy to forget the danger. There have been more than five rescues last month for people who didn’t pay enough attention.
Our ocean is so majestic that it’s easy to forget its unyielding power. Please remind them, if you have out-of-town visitors or if you are taking your family to hang out beachside, not to forget about the power of the waves. Just one sneaking wave will do it and the problem is preventable, with just some consideration. Maybe you should clip Richard’s story with its warning and put it on the fridge as a reminder. Make sure you and your own kids are capable of swimming, although even that ability can be challenged by the ocean’s force.
We have so many great swim schools in the area you can find in this issue, and getting your kids trained in the water at an early age is an important first step for all of us who live in a beach community. It was one of the first things we did with our kids.
As for those beautiful North Coast beaches where two visitors died, I slept out on them when I was in college also, ignorant of the danger. Richard, the journalist, had visited that beach the day before the tragic deaths and saw how powerful the ocean could be even at low tide. That keyhole beach looks like paradise, but one mistake proves otherwise.
This issue also features our Best Of suggestions, made and voted on by our readers. You should clip that also and post it for when you need recommendations. Your neighbors, our readers, know best and are happy
On the Cover
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s summer camp performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is shown. Photo by Davis Banta, Right Hand Creative. Tickets are on sale for Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2026 expanded festival season, themed Til Death Do Us Part Performances take place July 11 through Oct. 4 in the Audrey Stanley Grove (The Grove) in Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park. Check out the full list of Best Of winners on page 6.
to make suggestions. I love them, knowing they are honest and thoughtful. Occasionally, they are surprising, but mostly they are very helpful. I remember when I worked at the San Jose Mercury News, readers there often selected Taco Bell as the best Mexican restaurant and I groaned every time. I guess it showed that the voting isn’t always perfect but it was honest. I don’t groan about our issue here, although some of my favorites didn’t make the cut. We’ll try month after month to steer you to the best in Santa Cruz and print your recommendations in our letters sections. Keep on writing and making this a community effort. Write to editor@growingupsc.com. Thanks One note: As a teacher, there is nothing better than seeing your students succeed. I’ve taught at Cabrillo College for 16 years and have had many students use their education to live their dreams. One of them was Tony Nuñez, who just won the election for County Supervisor, the governing body that determines where our tax money will be spent and what laws we need to keep us safe and thriving. He was my journalism student a decade ago and I knew he would have a bright future and I’m so proud and happy that South County now has an intelligent, honest representative. Actually, his vote affects all of Santa Cruz County, so I feel optimistic about our future with him on the Board. He’s a great listener and learner, open to hearing from all of us. You should reach out to him and go to one of his meetings and let him know what’s important to you.
And on the less positive side: that Board is now considering cutting funds to the arts because of federal budget constraints. That hurts on so many levels. I’d love to know what you think of that as it unfolds.
Thanks for reading and have a great summer month. School is only weeks away.
Thanks for reading Brad Kava; Publisher
Curisi-Tree: Whispers from Our Urban Forest GROWING UP CURIOUS
BY JOHN LOUIS KOENIG
Trees inspire wonder and imagination. Unforgettable trees appear in famous stories, from The Lord of the Rings to The Swiss Family Robinson. Every tree has its own story too. Some trees mark old neighborhoods. Some tell stories about fashion, history, and the weather they grew in.
In Santa Cruz, many of those stories are scattered downtown. Leslie Keedy, the city’s urban forester for 26 years, knows where to find them. She has built her career around caring for our vast population of trees and she has a gift for making them seem less like background scenery and more like characters.
“Talking about trees is probably the most fun part of my job,” Keedy says. She is the kind of expert who knows a lot but has not lost the beginner’s amazement.
Santa Cruz, Keedy says, is especially rich in trees because our climate allows an unusual variety to grow. Our trees have come from rainforests and deserts, sharing the land with ancient natives. Some tell stories from a century ago, and back toward the mission period. Some are simply wonderful weirdos.
One of the best ways to meet these trees is through Keedy’s Downtown Tree Walk, a free annual tour, where you can learn how the trees grow, where they come from, and how they remind us of our history.
Here are just a few of the towering friends you will meet.
TIME TRAVELERS: THE STATELY VICTORIANS
We picture old-time Victorian explorers like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, searching for lost temples and ancient ruins. But in the 1800s, they also loved exotic plants. Victorian homeowners often used trees and shrubs to create drama, status and surprise. A Victorian house was part whimsical architecture, with gingerbread trim, tall windows, and fancy woodwork.
One common touch of the time was two Canary Island palms by the entrance, and a yard like a botanical trophy case.. REMINDER OF THE MISSIONARIES
Long before Victorian homeowners were decorating Santa Cruz with exotic trees, missionaries and Spanish settlers were moving plants from place to place along the California mission chain.
“They would bring them from mission to mission,” Keedy says. “At Mission Santa Barbara and here at Mission Santa Cruz, there’s the Chilean wine palm.”
The young palms grow so slowly that planting one is a gift to the future, not a source of instant shade. You plant it because someday someone will stand under it and wonder, “Who put this here?”
JURASSIC PARK TREES: ANCIENT SCENERY
Some trees seem to belong to a distant, primeval age. The bunya-bunya tree from Australia is one. It looks prehistoric, as
if a dinosaur might wander into the yard and munch it for lunch.
The cones can be huge, sometimes weighing many pounds, like a bowling ball with seeds inside. They fall, so be careful!
“The bunya-bunya trees are planted in association with Victorians as well,” Keedy says. She points to examples near Victorian homes at Chestnut and Walnut and on Green Street.
Related to the monkey puzzle tree, its scientific name is Araucaria bidwillii — but it’s more fun to say bunya-bunya.
Another tree that looks as if it escaped from a prehistoric movie set is the floss silk tree. Two grow at City Hall, planted by Keedy in 2005.
“The floss silk tree has these really scary spikes that stick straight out from the trunk,” Keedy says. The silky fiber in the seed pods is extremely buoyant, making it useful for stuffing life jackets, pillows, mattresses, upholstery, and insulation.
FAIRYLAND TREES: PURPLE RAIN AND PINK SHOWERS
Some downtown trees are less spooky and more magical.
Jacarandas are famous for purpleblue flowers that make a street look enchanted. They are native to South America and came to Santa Cruz from Mexico. A jacaranda in bloom drops blossoms like purple rain falling onto sidewalks and cars. “Those are just beautiful trees,” Keedy says. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
On Pacific Avenue, flowering cherry trees bring a different kind of magic that connects to East Asian horticulture.
Keedy says the downtown cherries include Akebono cherry with soft, pale blossoms and Kwanzan cherry with vivid pink, double flowers like tiny pom-poms. The city also added crape myrtles to avoid monoculture. When too much of one plant grows in one place, if a pest or disease loves one tree, the whole street can be in trouble.
THE HAUNTED FOREST TREE
In winter, the black walnut tree on Cedar Street looks like a wanderer from a witching wood, with stark, dark bare arms reaching ominously. In summer, its black branches come to life, filling its crown with dense green leaves, a true legacy tree of Santa Cruz.
“It was one of the original trees that was planted in our community for sure,” Keedy says, “at least 150 years old, and maybe closer to 200.”
Someone long ago planted it. But who and why, we do not know. Its lost history adds to its mystery. Years ago, the city wanted to remove the big legacy tree, but public outcry helped save it. Instead, some branches were cut, but the crown grew back. Today, it’s huge and growing, lost royalty on a downtown back street, still awe-inspiring.
THE TREE FROM OUTER SPACE
Tucked into the City Hall courtyard
is one of Keedy’s hidden gems: the firewheel tree, a native of Australian rainforests.
“It just looks like a boring, weird-leaf looking tree in the corner,” she says. But at the right time, the tree produces bright red flowers that Keedy compares to “prehistoric plastic flowers from outer space.” You might miss it if you walk too fast, but if you see it, suddenly City Hall has aliens.
AT HOME IN SANTA CRUZ
Santa Cruz loves our redwoods, and why wouldn’t we? Coast redwoods are among the tallest trees on Earth, and the Santa Cruz Mountains are part of their natural home range.
But Keedy offers a twist young readers may appreciate: your parents or grandparents could be older than some towering redwoods. “A lot of people think our redwoods are old,” she says, “but they’re often only about 60 to 80 years old. They just grow fast and
Downtown Tree Walk 2026
they’re happy here.”
Keedy once investigated a redwood that some people claimed was 200 years old. “I got the yearbook out for Santa Cruz High School,” she says, “and in the mid-’60s that tree wasn’t even there.”
THE TREES OF GREAT-GRANDFATHERS
“When I think about our legacy trees in Santa Cruz, it’s the Cliff Street Cypress, the Magnolia downtown, and the Black Walnut on Cedar Street,” Keedy says. “They are probably our three oldest trees.”
The old Cliff Street Cypress at the top of the Cliff Street walkway on Beach Hill may be about 200 years old. Sadly, Keedy says it is beginning to die. “It’s slowly aging out,” she says. We want the oldest ones to last forever, but even the great ones have lifespans.
A very old tree gives a town a kind of memory. It stood there before most of us arrived. It shaded people we never met. It watched Santa Cruz become Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz is a surf town, a college town and a downtown full of human stories. It’s also a forest town, with trees whose stories are waiting to be discovered.
“I think the more you know,” Keedy says, “the more you realize how much more there is to learn.”
That is the spirit of growing up curious.
On Saturday, July 18, from 9am to noon, join City Urban Forester Leslie Keedy for a free guided tour of significant and historical trees in the city’s downtown urban forest. Meet promptly at 9am at the City Hall Courtyard across from the Public Library. Advance registration is required through the Santa Cruz City website. Call 831.420.5270 for information.
Trees are all around us and sometimes we don’t think about the stories they tell.
CAMPS
DAY CAMP
Kennolyn Camps
8205 Hacienda Lane, Soquel 831.479.6714
kennolyncamps.com/santa-cruz-day
Your child will thrive in this full-day, outdoor camp. With activities like high ropes, ninja, and swimming your child will return happy-tired each day! And with a nurse on duty and 1:4 counselor to camper ratio you have peace of mind they are in good hands. Space available this summer.
Be Natural Music
740 Water St, Santa Cruz 831.515.8369 benaturalmusic.live
RESIDENTIAL CAMP
Kennolyn Camps
8205 Hacienda Lane, Soquel 831.479.6714
kennolyncamps.com/santa-cruz-day/
Your child will thrive in this full-day, outdoor camp. With activities like high ropes, ninja, and swimming your child will return happy-tired each day! And with a nurse on duty and 1:4 counselor to camper ratio you have peace of mind they are in good hands. Space available this summer.
Redwood Music Teen Camp info@CommunityMusicSchool.orgCommunityMusicSchool.org
ART CAMP
Drawn2Art
19C Rancho Del Mar, Aptos 831.661.5652 drawn2artstudios.com/aptos
Drawn2Art is Celebrating its 40th Anniversary! Our philosophy of “creativity follows mastery” has helped hone the skills of many aspiring artists. It’s a Testament to the importance of art education. Offering year-round drawing, painting classes, summer camps. To learn more or schedule a Free Introductory Class – email to aptos@ drawn2artstudios.com
Seven Directions Learning Center
303 Potrero Street, Suite 7A, Santa Cruz 831.713.9392 sevendirectionsinfo@gmail.com sevendirections.org
Seven Directions is Santa Cruz’s premier creative learning center for kids ages 5-18. We offer summer camps, afterschool classes and homeschool programs in art, science and beyond. With a bright and lively studio and over 30 live exotic animals, Seven Directions inspires kids to love learning and be themselves.
We asked you to share your favorite places to take your kids and places you enjoy as a family. We wanted to know what businesses you consider the Best in Santa Cruz, and man, did you ever respond! Thanks to everyone who answered our survey and don’t forget to vote again next summer.
DINING & FOOD
BAKERY
Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria
504 Bay Ave, Capitola 831.462.1200 gaylesbakery.com
Companion Bakeshop
2341 Mission St, Santa Cruz 831.471.8378 companionbakeshop.com
COFFEE SHOP
Cat & Cloud Coffee
Multiple Santa Cruz County locations catandcloud.com
11th Hour Coffee
1001 Center St #1, Santa Cruz 831.331.5273 eleventhhourcoffee.com
BREAKFAST
Harbor Cafe
535 7th Ave, Santa Cruz 831.475.4948 harborcafesantacruz.com
Walnut Avenue Cafe
106 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz 831.457.2307 walnutavenuecafe.com
DELI
Zoccoli’s Delicatessen 1534 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz 831.423.1711 zoccolis.com
Garden Deli
1815 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz 831.475.9191 scgardendeli.com
Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar 1100 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz 831.469.4400 kiantis.com
KIDS ACTIVITIES
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Campus Kids Connection 820 Bay Ave Suite 113, Capitola 831.462.9822 campuskidsconnection.com
Be Natural Music
740 Water St, Santa Cruz 831.515.8369 benaturalmusic.live
ART PROGRAMS
Drawn2Art
19C Rancho Del Mar, Aptos 831.661.5652 drawn2artstudios.com/aptos
Drawn2Art is Celebrating its 40th Anniversary! Our philosophy of “creativity follows mastery” has helped hone the skills of many aspiring artists. It’s a Testa-
ment to the importance of art education. Offering year-round drawing, painting classes, summer camps. To learn more or schedule a Free Introductory Class – email to aptos@ drawn2artstudios.com
Seven Directions Learning Center 831.713.9392 sevendirectionsinfo@gmail.com sevendirections.org
Seven Directions is Santa Cruz’s premier creative learning center for kids ages 5-18. We offer summer camps, afterschool classes and homeschool programs in art, science and beyond. With a bright and lively studio and over 30 live exotic animals, Seven Directions inspires kids to love learning and be themselves.
DANCE CENTER
International Academy of Dance
320 Encinal St, Santa Cruz 831.466.0458 iadance.com
Dancenter
810 A Bay Ave., Capitola 831.475.5032 dancenterinfo.com
MUSIC
Kuumbwa Jazz
320-2 Cedar St, Santa Cruz 831.427.2227 kuumbwajazz.org
Be Natural Music
740 Water St, Santa Cruz 831.515.8369 benaturalmusic.live
MUSEUMS
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History 705 Front St, Santa Cruz 831.429.1964 santacruzmah.org
Children’s Museum of Discovery 1855 41st Ave, Capitola 831.316.5200 santacruzkids.org
SPORTS
Parks & Recreation
323 Church Street, Santa Cruz 831.420.5270 santacruzca.gov
Tannery Cultural Center 1060 River St #110 & #111, Santa Cruz 831.332.1398 tanneryworlddance.com
SWIMMING LESSONS
Jim Booth Swim School Watsonville 831.722.3500 jimboothswimschool.com
Be a water wonder! Lessons for all ages, from Little Otters for babies to adult beginners. The whole family can splash together in our 94-degree indoor pool, taught by caring, well-qualified teachers. Swim team and advanced lessons also available!
Seahorse Swim School, Inc.
Tiffany Harmon Aptos and Santa Cruz Seahorseswimmers@gmail.com SeahorseSwimSchool.com
Seahorse Swim School, led by owner Tiffany Harmon, has nearly 40 years of aquatic teaching experience along the California
Coast. Offering group, private, and parent-tot lessons for ages six months and up, April through October. Located at the Santa Cruz Elks Lodge and Seahorse Swim Academy above the Aptos Library.
SWIMMING CENTER
Simpkins Family Swim Center
979 17th Ave, Santa Cruz 831.454.7960 scparks.com/simpkins_home.html
Santa Cruz Shakespeare santacruzshakespeare.org boxoffice@santacruzshakespeare.org 831.460.6399
GYMNASTICS
JuneBug’s Gym
3910 Portola Dr Ste 2 & 3, Santa Cruz 831.464.2847 junebugsgym.com
June Bug’s Gym is a place where your child can experience a fun-filled adventure in movement. We have a caring, respectful staff that encourages every child to grow at their own pace while supporting social, emotional, and cognitive development. Our goal is to promote confidence and self-esteem in our students, open up their imaginations, and help them experience the joy of movement in an ever-changing environment designed to test their skills.
Santa Cruz Gymnastics Center
2750 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz 831.462.0655 scgym.com
We are offering Gymnastics Camps for ages 5–12! Come FLIP WITH US at our weekly themed camps. Camps include gymnastics lessons on all Olympic events, supervised open gym time, group games, crafts, and time in our foam pit! Full and half day options are available for each weekly camp. Check scgym.com for more information and to register.
SERVICES
BANK
Bay Federal Credit Union
Six branches in Santa Cruz County 831.479.6000 bayfed.com
Wells Fargo
Multiple Santa Cruz County locations wellsfargo.com
PLACE/HOUSE OF WORSHIP
Twin Lakes Church 2701 Cabrillo College Dr, Aptos 831.465.3300 tlc.org
Temple Beth El 3055 Porter Gulch Rd, Aptos 831.479.3444 tbeaptos.org
Thank you for choosing Dr. Jackson as your favorite pediatric dentist again! We are proud to be your choice for the fifth year in a row. We love taking care of your children. New patients are always welcome. Call us and schedule an appointment soon.
Santa Cruz Children’s Dental
1505 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz 831.426.4650 santacruzchildrensdental.com
FITNESS
Toadal Fitness
6 Locations 831.464.3764 toadalfitness.com
In-Shape Capitola
1100 41st Ave, Capitola inshape.com
HOSPITAL
Dominican Hospital
1555 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz 831.462.7700 dignityhealth.org
Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center
2900 Chanticleer Ave, Santa Cruz 831.477.2200 sutterhealth.org
PEDIATRICIAN
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Pediatrics Santa Cruz
1200 Delaware Ave, Santa Cruz 831.427.2080 sutterhealth.org
Bruce Block, M.D. - Palo Alto Medical 1101 Fair Ave Ste 101, Santa Cruz 831.462.4787 sutterhealth.org/find-doctor/bruce-block
REPRODUCTIVE
Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center
2900 Chanticleer Ave, Santa Cruz 831.477.2200 sutterhealth.org
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Obstetrics and Gynecology
Santa Cruz locations sutterhealth.org
MIDWIFE/DOULA
Santa Cruz Midwives
530 Ocean St Unit A, Santa Cruz 831.471.7072 santacruzmidwives.com
Tamara Belkin
tamarabelkin.com
THERAPIST
Western Tom Lmft 5905 Soquel Dr, Soquel 831.475.5775
Monarch Services
550 Water Street Suite J-3, Santa Cruz 831.425.4030 monarchscc.org
SPECIALIST
Sutter Health Santa Cruz Santa Cruz locations sutterhealth.org
Dignity Health Medical Group Dominican 1595 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz dignityhealth.org
OUTDOORS
BEACH
Capitola Beach
Capitola Village, Capitola cityofcapitola.org
Seabright State Beach E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz parks.ca.gov
PARK
Leo’s Haven 2165 17th Ave, Santa Cruz 831.454.7900 scparks.com
Wilder Ranch State Park
Highway 1 west of Santa Cruz, just past Western Drive 831.423.9703 parks.ca.gov/?page_id=549
HIKING
Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Aptos Creek Road, Aptos 831.763.7063 parks.ca.gov/?page_id=666
Henry Cowell Redwoods 101 Big Trees Park Rd, Felton 831.335.4598 parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546
AMUSEMENT PARK
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
400 Beach St, Santa Cruz 831.423.5590 beachboardwalk.com
Roaring Camp Railroads 5401 Graham Hill Rd, Felton 831.335.4484 roaringcamp.com
BEAUTY
HAIR SALON
Dang! Suite Hair! dangsuitehair.com
Evolve evolvesantacruz.com
SPA
Well Within Spa
417 Cedar St, Santa Cruz 831.458.9355 wellwithinspa.com
1225 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz 831.425.3721 gap.com
GIFT SHOP
Bookshop Santa Cruz
1520 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz 831.423.0900 bookshopsantacruz.com
Zinnia’s Gift Boutique
219 C Mount Hermon Rd, Scotts Valley 831.430.9466 zinniasgiftboutique.com
HOME DECOR
Warmth Company
Santa Cruz warmthcompany.com
Botanic and Luxe
122 Cooper St, Santa Cruz 831.421.9252 botanicandluxe.com
NURSERY/GARDEN
Dig Gardens
420 Water St, Santa Cruz 831.466.3444 digsantacruz.com
San Lorenzo Lumber Garden Center
235 River St, Santa Cruz 831.423.0223 sanlorenzolumber.com/Locations
SKATE/ SURF
O’Neill Surf Shop
110 Cooper St, Santa Cruz 831.469.4377 oneillsurfshop.com
Bill’s Wheels Skateshop 1240 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz 831.462.3088 billswheels.com
TEEN CLOTHING
Urban Outfitters Santa Cruz
1549 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz 831.457.0512 urbanoutfitters.com
O’Neill Surf Shop
110 Cooper St, Santa Cruz 831.469.4377 oneillsurfshop.com
TOYS
Wonderland Toys 19-B Rancho Del Mar, Aptos 831.316.7261 wonder831info@gmail.com wonderlandsantacruz.com
Childish
1129 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz 831.421.9223
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
Pacific Trading Company
Santa Cruz: 831.423.3349 Capitola: 831.476.6109 info@pacific-trading-co.com pacific-trading-co.com
Anthropologie
1134 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz 831.475.8741 anthropologie.com
SCHOOLS
CHARTER
Pacific Collegiate School
3004 Mission Street, Santa Cruz 831.479.7785 pacificcollegiate.com
San Lorenzo Valley Charter School
325 Marion Avenue, Ben Lomond 831.335.0932 charter.slvusd.org
ELEMENTARY
Gateway School
255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz 831.423.0341 www.gatewaysc.org admissions@gatewaysc.org
Thank you for voting for Gateway School! From our small class sizes to our extraordinary programs, educators and academics, Gateway is inspiring students to be prepared, be known and belong. Visit us today. gatewaysc.org
255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz 831.423.0341 gatewaysc.org admissions@gatewaysc.org
Thank you for voting for Gateway School! From our small class sizes to our extraordinary programs, educators and academics, Gateway is inspiring students to be prepared, be known and belong. Visit us today. gatewaysc.org
415 Walnut Avenue, Santa Cruz 831.429.3960 schs.sccs.net
PRESCHOOL
Discovery Preschool and Family Center
4 Santa Cruz locations: 831.515.7071 scdiscoverypreschool@gmail.com discoverypreschoolandfamilycenter.com Lic# 444414415
Discovery is a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool program. At Discovery we know that every child brings with them deep curiosity and potential and this innate curiosity drives their interest to understand their world and their place within it. Students’ input, intelligence, and curiosities are honored everyday.
Come experience Simcha Preschool Early Learning Center, where joyful, play-based learning inspires creativity, independence, and strong social-emotional growth. In our beautiful indoor and outdoor learning spaces, our curriculum is guided by children’s interests and supported by dedicated teachers. Voted Silver Winner for Best Preschool 2026, we offer low teacher-child ratios and flexible schedules for children ages 18 months to 5 years. Open year-round 7:30am-5:20pm. Call 831.479.3449 or email Director Caitlin Clancy at caitlin@ tbeaptos.org to learn more!
PRIVATE SCHOOL
Gateway School
255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz 831.423.0341 www.gatewaysc.org admissions@gatewaysc.org
Thank you for voting for Gateway School! From our small class sizes to our extraordinary programs, educators and academics, Gateway is inspiring students to be prepared, be known and belong. Visit us today. gatewaysc.org
Twin Lakes Christian School 2701 Cabrillo College Dr, Aptos 831.465.3301 tlcs.us
LEARNING & TUTORING
Mathnasium of Aptos 24 Rancho del Mar, Aptos 831.621.5978 mathnasium.com/Aptos
Does your child dread math or dream of mastering it? Mathnasium of Aptos creates
personalized learning plans that build real confidence, from basic skills through Pre-Calculus. Serving families across Aptos and the Santa Cruz coast. Schedule a free assessment and watch the math clicks start happening.
Be Natural Music
740 Water St, Santa Cruz 831.515.8369 benaturalmusic.live
CELEBRATIONS
PARTY SERVICES
Fairytale Endings fairytaleendingsevents.com
PLACE TO CELEBRATE KID’S BIRTHDAY Fairytale Endings fairytaleendingsevents.com
Santa Cruz Roller Palladium 1606 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz 831.423.0842 rollerpalladium.com
PLACE TO CELEBRATE AN ADULT BIRTHDAY OR MILESTONE
Fairytale Endings Entertainment fairytaleendingsevents.com
Parish Publick House Aptos 8017 Soquel Dr, Aptos 831.708.2036 theparishpublick.com
Aldo’s Harbor Restaurant 616 Atlantic Ave, Santa Cruz 831.426.3736 aldos-cruz.com
DOG FRIENDLY HIKES
Henry Cowell Redwoods 101 Big Trees Park Rd, Felton 831.335.4598
Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Aptos Creek Road, Aptos 831.763.7063
DOG FRIENDLY BEACHES Its Beach West Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz
Protecting Our Children from Addictive Online Design
BY SUSAN TATSUI-D’ARCY
Where do you stand on raising children in a world of TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, online games, and AI chatbots?
Most parents are in survival mode. We open Instagram for “just a minute,” and suddenly 30 minutes are gone. We hand our kids our phones at a restaurant, in the car, or whenever we need a break.
Parents are tired. Children melt down. And screens work—at least for the moment. But once children learn that a phone relieves boredom, frustration, or loneliness, it becomes harder to put the genie back in the bottle.
The numbers should alarm us. Pew Research Center reported in 2024 that nearly half of U.S. teens say they are online “almost constantly,” up from 24% a decade earlier. Common Sense Media found that 40% of children have their own tablet by age 2.
This is not just “kids being kids.” This is the new business model.
One of my former students earned a degree in game design. In 2018, he interviewed with major gaming companies. They wanted to know: Could he help design a game so compelling that players would keep playing instead of eating, going to the bathroom, doing homework, or going to school? These are
not side effects. These are the goals. Apps, games, and platforms are intentionally designed to capture and hold children’s attention. Infinite scroll, autoplay, streaks, likes, notifications, personalized feeds, and algorithmic recommendations are carefully engineered hooks.
The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of poor mental health outcomes. The CDC also found that frequent social media use was associated with higher rates of bullying, sadness, hopelessness, and suicide risk.
It’s not that social media causes every mental health crisis. But we can no longer pretend that constant exposure to addictive design, public comparison, online bullying, sexualized content, and peer drama is harmless.
We have all seen the damage caused by gossip and bullying. But social media gives children tools to humiliate and emotionally wound their peers in seconds. Years ago, one of my students had a painful fight with her best friend. Instead of cooling off, the friend created a website filled with private secrets. Within hours, classmates, teachers, and even the principal had seen it. That is not
Mathnasium will give your child an edge in math, and that often leads to increased confidence overall. We give students the live, face-to-face instruction they need — either in-center or online — to accelerate their math skills and have a successful school year.
childhood drama. It is emotional trauma that can lead to severe depression, selfharm, and even suicide.
Governments are beginning to respond. Michigan’s “Kids Over Clicks” bills aim to restrict addictive feeds, limit notifications, reduce collection of children’s data, and place guardrails around AI chatbots. Australia has gone further, requiring major social media platforms to block children under 16.
So what can parents do?
Refuse to normalize constant access. Do not use the phone as the default pacifier. Keep phones away from meals and bedrooms. Set up a family charging station outside sleeping areas. Turn off notifications. Delay smartphones until high school, and then set rules about when, where, and how long they may be used. Use parental controls, but do not rely on them as a substitute for supervision. Know what your child is watching, what games they are playing, and who they are talking to. Teach them about algorithms and how companies make money by targeting them.
Most importantly, replace screens with something better. Children need books, pets, chores, art supplies, music, sports, nature, board games, cooking, gardening, and face-to-face friendships. Teens need
purpose, meaningful projects, volunteer work, and trusted adults who listen.
When my daughters were growing up, I did not allow video games in our home. When they visited friends, they may have tried the games, but because they had not practiced for hundreds of hours, they quickly lost interest. Even today, neither of them plays video games. Was it easy? No. Parenting rarely is. Children do not need overwhelmed parents who blindly follow trends. They need parents willing to protect them.
This is not about blaming parents. It is about sharing insights. We are raising children in a world where childhood itself has been hijacked by corporate greed.
The good news is that families can change course. Children’s boredom opens doors to curiosity and expands their imaginations. Teens can rediscover sleep and engage with like-minded friends. Families can reclaim dinner tables, bedrooms, car rides, and weekends. Communities can support legislation that protects minors from addictive design.
Our children are being outmatched by technology designed to overpower adult self-control, let alone a developing brain. They need us to step in. Set the rules. Hold the line. Offer better alternatives.
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FEATURE People Are Being Killed by Sneaker Waves
BY RICHARD STOCKTON
The ocean warned us, but we ignored it. Not because we were reckless or stoned. Not because we were taking a selfie. We ignored it because we forgot. The day before two young women were swept into the ocean and drowned at Panther Beach, my hiking group, The Pillars, was standing at the exact spot where they would later be carried away.
We were there for geology. Geologist Dwight Harbaugh, was explaining how the stunning, psychedelic cliff formations at Panther Beach graphically show the volcanic eruptions, tectonic collisions, sandstone laminations, and the deep ocean mudstone of millions of years of California history.
Dwight, Ben Rice and I stood with our backs to the ocean, staring at the cliff. Then a wave hit us. It wasn’t a giant wave; it didn’t knock us down. It didn’t take anyone with it back out into the Pacific. It soaked us and left us feeling foolish. Three experienced hikers had forgotten Rule Number One: Never turn your back on the ocean.
Twenty-four hours later, Fremont residents Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were swept into the water at Panther Beach and died. The tragedy raises a difficult question. If experienced hikers can momentarily forget the ocean behind
them, how do ordinary beachgoers recognize danger that doesn’t look dangerous?
According to Michael Horn, CAL FIRE information officer, lifelong Santa Cruzan, former lifeguard and water-safety expert, that’s exactly why sneaker waves are so deadly. “They sneak up on people who aren’t expecting them,” Horn says. Not rogue. sneaker.
“I think calling it a rogue wave is just demonizing what it really is. A sneaker wave is one of the bigger waves in a set,” he says. “The ocean will be flat for a little bit, or have really small waves, and then a big set will come in.”
The key danger isn’t necessarily the size of the wave, it’s the surprise. A beach can look calm for 10 minutes and people relax,
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walk closer to the water, sit on driftwood. They stop paying attention, then one larger wave arrives. “The reason it’s called a sneaker wave is because it sneaks up on people,” Horn says.
Meteorologists note that big winter storms can kill fewer people than moderate surf conditions. Massive waves frighten people away; sneaker waves are more insidious because they arrive when people feel safe.
WHY PANTHER BEACH IS DIFFERENT
Panther Beach is among the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Santa Cruz County. It’s also one of the most unforgiving. It is a steep beach, and Horn says that can move an enormous amount of water in and out with every wave.
“If it’s really steep when a big wave comes in, that’s a lot of wave,” he says. “And when the wave goes back out, that’s a lot of water that’s going to pull you with it.”
Panther Beach has a tunnel through a rocky section known as the Keyhole. At very low tide people can access areas of beach beyond it. We decided to go for it and walked through. As tides rise, that exit back through the Keyhole can disappear. Visitors can find themselves trapped.
“They’re cut off,” Horn says.
That appears to have been a factor in the June 10th tragedy. Authorities still don’t know exactly what happened to Nair and Sran. Were they napping? Horn says their backpacks and towels were found completely dry further up the beach, so the napping theory is less likely. Maybe they were going for a dip when they got trapped on the ocean side of the Keyhole. Horn believes it is more likely that the women were exploring the beach, became isolated by rising water, and were struck by larger waves. “Once the wave hit them, they were probably tossed and turned until they became exhausted,” he says.
He says that the ocean near the cliffs can become a washing machine of colliding forces. Incoming waves rebound off rock walls while new waves continue arriving.
“I’m an excellent swimmer,” Horn says. “And I’ve been tossed like that to the point where I almost needed rescue.” This isn’t necessarily about swimming ability; strong swimmers drown in surf every year.
FIVE RESCUES IN A MONTH
Horn says Santa Cruz County Fire has responded to five water rescues in the last month. Everyone he has spoken with considers that unusually high.
THREE RULES THAT MATTER
Horn repeatedly returns to three simple ideas.
First: Never turn your back on the ocean. Sounds simple but it is not. The Pillars forget. Thousands of beach visitors forget every year. Even a few seconds of warning can matter.
“If you can see it, at least you know it’s coming,” Horn says. “The further up the beach you get, the safer you’re going to be.”
Second: Know what the ocean is doing before you arrive. Check tide charts, check surf forecasts, check weather advisories. Look for warnings from the National Weather Service. Horn says modern smartphones make this easy.
I ask him, “If you had a relative going to Panther Beach, what would you tell them to look up?”
“Sunrise, sunset, high tide, low tide. Storm surges.”
Third: Read the beach. If the sand is wet, the ocean has already been there and will be back. Steep beaches deserve extra caution because water rushes both in and out with tremendous force. Flat beaches offer more room to react; steep beaches offer less. Panther Beach is very steep.
THE OCEAN IS NOT A TOY
One of Horn’s most useful observations is that ocean safety should be treated the same way we treat weather. He says that nobody steps outside naked during a snowstorm because they looked outside once and saw sunshine. Check forecasts, prepare: Look at tide charts, and surf forecasts to see whether conditions are changing. Know whether your exit route may disappear. Most of all, don’t assume the next ten minutes will look like the previous ten minutes.
A PLACE WORTH VISITING
During a discussion, one question emerged: “If Panther Beach is dangerous, why should we encourage people to go there?”
Fair question, but maybe the wrong one. Driving to the trail is dangerous, hiking is dangerous, yet millions of people safely enjoy it by paying attention. Horn isn’t telling people to avoid the coast; he’s telling people to respect it. Panther Beach remains one of the most spectacular places in Santa Cruz County. The geology of the cliffs is astonishing; the beauty is unforgettable. But the ocean is a powerful natural force that occasionally reminds us who is in charge.
“We had some great weather in May, and then we had this gnarly wave storm that came from the South Pacific or from the equatorial Pacific, where there was a couple of hurricanes that created some waves. I go to Harbor Beach all the time, but I haven’t seen waves break over the jetty in years. It happened last night. It’s been happening every day for the last week and a half.” That’s why so many water rescues: more people, more exposure, larger surf.
“The ocean is not a free toy,” Horn says. “It’s a very big, serious thing that can cause a lot of harm.”
The day before two young women died at Panther Beach on June 10th, The Pillars received a harmless warning. The difference between those two outcomes may have been nothing more than a single wave arriving at exactly the wrong moment. Which is why the oldest rule on the coast remains the best one: Never turn your back on the ocean.
Siblings: The Art of Remaining Neutral POSITIVE DISCIPLINE
BY COLLEEN MURPHY
School’s out. “Yay!” say the kids. Game on, think the parents. The changes in routine and schedules bring a needed respite from the grind. But it also means parents need to be much more engaged in the family dynamics. Siblings are freer to spend time together, sometimes as friends and other times as opponents.
Not all siblings act as rivals, but there will be times, maybe few, maybe many, when adults must take an active role in the squabbles and outright battles. But how to do that, without favoritism, without your explosive reactions shutting everyone down, and without missing opportunities to teach problem-solving skills?
How do you put them “all in the same boat” as we say in Positive Discipline, where every child receives the same love, support, life-lessons, and limits? Start with what you can control: You.
SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT SIBLINGS
And what lessons are available
Some sibling conflict is normal and healthy.
Sibling conflict offers many lessons in living with others: conflict resolution skills, cooperation, listening to different perspectives, appropriate expression of anger, cooling off, finding solutions that work for all, apologizing, and forgiving.
Sibling conflict is often about pulling the parents into the middle so they can take a side.
Teach children basic safety standards/ skills:
Stop means stop
When to walk away
When to ask for problem-solving help (Remember, helping is not rescuing.)
Sibling conflict can be used to empower children with important lifelong skills.
Teach and model how to listen, how to express your frustrations and needs without shame or blame, why people act the way they do (e.g., people won’t listen if you yell at them, if you compromise first, others are more likely as well), how to give meaningful apologies (but not before they are ready)
EQUAL VS. EQUITABLE
Siblings will demand that everything be fair, meaning things must be equal at all times. But as we know, this isn’t realistic. Differences in age, abilities, situations, and their physical and/ or neurological make-up will prevent equality in every circumstance. But you can work to be equitable, meaning people can get their differing needs met that fit the situation. For example, young siblings will have fewer responsibilities and lower expectations than older siblings. Older siblings are given extra privileges. These are age-appropriate guidelines.
One child gets an invite to a party, the other doesn’t. One child picks the movie for the night, the other doesn’t.
These things happen. The response to “That’s not fair” is to say, “Yes, things are not equal between people all the time. But in our family, things work out fairly over time. When you’re older, you will also have those privileges. Remember, last week, you went to a party, and your brother didn’t. Your sister picked the movie this week, but you will be picking it next week.”
FIRST, BUILD THEIR SKILLS
Young children ages 6 and under will need guidance to develop problem-solving skills. Their brains are not developed enough to work through the steps calmly. If older children have not been taught these skills, start here with them. Conflict can become physical very quickly when skills are not in place. Do not “let them work it out.” Instead, move in to calm eruptions and guide them through the steps of conflict resolution:
Remain neutral with your body language and words. Assume nothing. You don’t know who started anything. (Nor does it matter!) “I’m here to help you both,” instead of “What did you do?!” The child who is crossing boundaries AND the one having boundaries crossed (usually siblings fall into both categories) will need your understanding and redirection to make better choices.
First, temporarily move objects or the children away from the sources of conflict May need a cool-off time first. Problems can’t be solved when emotions run high.
Listen to both sides and repeat out loud each other’s perspectives. “You are mad she knocked down your tower. She is mad you won’t play with her.”
Go to solutions. “How can we solve this or fix what happened? Do you want to tell each other what you’re mad about? Would you like her to rebuild your tower? What toys can she play with, or do you want to pick a time when you will share these toys? 10-15 minutes?”
THREE NEUTRAL STRATEGIES FOR OLDER SIBLINGS IN CONFLICT
Once conflict-resolution skills are in place and physical aggression isn’t a concerning pattern, start the practice of “letting them work it out.” This is their relationship; they are responsible for it. Parents cause harm by getting too involved. (Unless safety is an issue.) This is when the art of remaining neutral and staying in control of your actions comes in to play.
Continue to set the expectation of respectful treatment even when siblings are angry by using phrases like these and taking these powerful actions:
“You can be angry and remain respectful. Try again.”
“Talk without attacking.” “Tell each other your part.”
“How can you make it right again?”
“Speak to your sister, not me.”
Build their friendship by creating
shared experiences and opportunities to work as a team, and also, allow space for alone time, not always requiring sharing. When conflict begins, pick one of these neutral responses:
Boot them out - Siblings must leave the room until they are done fighting and have a solution. “I’m not willing to hear this yelling. You know how to resolve and repair. Come back with your solution.”
Beat it - You leave the room. “I’m not willing to hear the fighting. I’m leaving. Let me know when you’ve worked it through. I’ll help if you get stuck.”
Bear it - Remain present but do not get involved. “I’m not going to get involved since this is between you two. You are skilled at figuring out problems.”
SIBLINGS MATTER
Siblings offer the first attempt at friendship. They can have tremendous influence over each other, more so than parents. Siblings can inspire others to follow their example or encourage them to take on a challenge. Conversely, they can influence each other to follow unhealthy paths of self-destruction. They can hurt each other deeply, knowing each other’s vulnerable spots.
This relationship is too important to let unfold on its own. Establish a family culture that siblings matter; love and respect are expected and practiced.
Resource: Parenting the Positive Discipline Way Manual: The Basics of Dealing with Sibling Rivalry, J. McVittie, MD, L. Lott & J. Nelsen.
Colleen Murphy is a credentialed adult ed teacher, a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer at Positive Discipline Community Resources (www.pdcrcc. org), a preschool teacher at Soquel Parent Education Nursery School, a parent coach (fromtheheadtotheheart. com), and in healthy relationships with her two grown kids. Catch her interviews on Lost or Found - Apple Podcasts with Dr. Michelle Choi.
WEDNESDAYS
Summer Twilight Concerts Bring chairs, jackets, a picnic supper and the family for free live music by the beach. July performers include Spun with fun rock ’n’ party music on July 1, B-Movie Kings with classic rock on July 8, Mercy & The Heartbeats with Top 40 and dance hits on July 15, Extra Large with funky mostly original pop on July 22, and Santa Cruz Latin Collective with Latin rock and salsa on July 29. Esplanade bandstand, Capitola. cityofcapitola.gov/985/TwilightConcert-Series-2026
THURSDAYS
Seabright Ave Free Outdoor Movie Night 8-10pm Free. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for free Thursday movie nights on Seabright. July movies include The SpongeBob Movie, Legally Blonde, Minecraft Movie and Shrek. Murray St. and Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz. exploreseabrightharbor.com
FRIDAYS
Free Movies on the Beach 9-10:45pm Free. Bring your family, blanket or low-back chair for free Friday movie nights on the beach in front of the Colonnade. July movies include 13 Going on 30 on July 10, Back to the Future on July 17, A Minecraft Movie on July 24, and Jurassic Park on July 31. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz. beachboardwalk.com
FRI 3
First Fridays Santa Cruz 5-8pm On the first Friday evening of every month, Santa Cruz galleries, shops, and cultural venues open their doors to showcase the works of Santa Cruz County artists. With a block party-like vibe, the multi-venue event provides an opportunity to discover local creative talent in a fun and festive setting. firstfridaysantacruz.com/event
First Friday Boulder Creek 5-8pm Enjoy a free monthly mountain street fair in the name of creation and community. There will be local art, music and food lining the sidewalks of downtown Boulder Creek. firstfridaybouldercreek.org
Lighthouse Point Lawn Free Music
Concert 2-7pm Free. Celebrate Parks and Recreation Month with live music by The Lost Boys Featuring James Durbin, plus food trucks, beer, wine and a raffle by the coast. Steamer Lane at Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz. santacruzca.gov
SAT 4
Arboretum Tour 11am-12:30pm The first Saturday of each month, the Arboretum offers a docent or staff-led tour of the Arboretum. Sometimes you will see New Zealand, South Africa, California, or Australia. Sometimes you might see combinations of several gardens, the developing World Conifer Collection, or Rare Fruit Garden. arboretum.ucsc.edu
JULY 9-AUG 2
Sister Act, The Musical Thu-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm $25-$65. Cabrillo Stage brings the feel-good musical comedy to life with disco spirit, big voices and plenty of heart. Appropriate for ages 8 and up. Cabrillo College Crocker Theater, Aptos. cabrillostage.com/sisteract
FRI 10, 17, 31
Summer Luau 6-8:30pm $45.95-$69.95 plus tax. Dress in Hawaiian attire and enjoy a tropical buffet, live music, hula dancers
and family fun by the beach. Aloha Terrace at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz. beachboardwalk.com/summer-luau
SAT 11
Second Saturday on the Farm 11am3pm The Agricultural History Project’s 2nd Saturday events are like taking a step back in time. Grab your cowboy hat and put on your boots and come and enjoy a funfilled afternoon on the farm! In addition to special activities, you’ll be able to milk a “cow”, drive-a-tractor, and enjoy crafts, hayrides, puppet show, antique engines and museum exhibits. Bring your lunch and enjoy a picnic. aghistoryproject.org/2ndsaturday-on-the-farm
Swing Dancing 2-5:30pm You will find music, friends, and food while you improve your dancing digs. All levels, and various styles plus a social dance with great ambiance are welcome! Go Join the fun on the Second Saturday evening of each month at the Santa Cruz Wharf stage. cityofsantacruz.com
Hop N’ Barley Beer Festival 11am4:30pm. This family- and dog-friendly festival features craft beer and cider tastings, food vendors, classic cars, merchandise vendors, two music stages and more than 60 beers and ciders to taste. Skypark, Scotts Valley. hopnbarley. org
SUN
12
Antiques Faire 8am-5pm The Santa Cruz Antique Faire is on the 2nd Sunday of every month. Vendors offer an eclectic blend of antiques and unique items, vintage clothing, collectibles and more. Visit the Antique Faire on Lincoln Street between Pacific and Cedar.
Artisan Faire noon-4pm Head to Abbott Square every second Sunday of the month for free live music while you browse handmade jewelry, soap, clothing, and much more! There is always something at these events that has your name on it! abbottsquaremarket.com/events
TUES 14
Board Game Playtesting 6-10pm Free. Try new board games and card games, offer feedback on prototypes, and meet local designers through Game Designers of Santa Cruz. New designers and interested players are welcome, with food and drinks available from Peoples Coffee during the event. Peoples Coffee, Santa Cruz. meetup. com/playgoldengate/events/312363447
FRI
17
July Jamboree 12:30-3:30pm Free. Join Gateway School for field games, gladiator battles, water play, arts, crafts, games, Izzy’s icees and tacos. All are welcome. Gateway School, Santa Cruz. gatewaysc.org
SAT 18
Classic Car Show 9am-5pm Free. Enjoy more than 50 classic cars in the redwoods, plus activities for kids, live music, BBQ and a full bar for the grown-ups. Brookdale Lodge, Brookdale. eventbrite.com
True Love Christian Festival 10am5pm Free. Bring the family for a day of Christian music, art, fellowship, food and free entertainment in the park. Aptos Village Park, Aptos. truelovechristianmusicfestival.com
SAT 18-SUN 19
Art and Wine Festival 11am-5pm Free admission. Shop local artists and food vendors, hear live music and enjoy wine tasting with purchase of a festival glass. Bargetto Winery, Soquel. bargetto.com
SUN 19
Downtown Makers Market 10am-5pm
Visit the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market featuring 40+ local makers & artists every third Sunday of the month on the 1100 block of Pacific Ave. between Cathcart and Lincoln streets. scmmakersmarket.com
SUN 26
Wharf to Wharf Race $59.76. Cheer on runners during the beloved six-mile seaside race from Santa Cruz toward Capitola, with bands, fans and a festive finish in Capitola Village. Capitola Wharf, Capitola. wharftowharf.com
JULY 26-AUG 9
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Times vary. The 2026 season, We the Dreamers, brings new orchestral works, guest artists, composers and the Festival Orchestra to Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz. cabrillomusic.org
MON 27
History of Suits 7-8pm Free. Santa Cruz native Chloe Chapin shares Suitable, her debut book about how the plain black suit became a symbol of masculinity, democracy and modernity. Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com
WED 29
Santa Cruz Shakespeare Family Days Santa Cruz Shakespeare is hosting Family Days with performances of Much Ado About Nothing on July 29 and Aug. 5. Kids age 12 and under are FREE with a paid adult ticket. Gates open at 10am show at noon. Prior to the performance, families can enjoy on-site activities and lunch at the Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park santacruzshakespeare.org/plan/ familydays
Yoga Retreat | September 24 - 30, 2026
Between Sea and Sky
Madeira, Portugal
A restorative women’s retreat in Madeira—slow, scenic and deeply nourishing.
Thoughtfully curated for 10 women
Boutique base in Ponta do Sol • Daily yoga • Curated experiences • Local guides
GUiSC will attempt to update the calendar listings as needed; however, it is the responsibility of the organization listed to provide updated information. GUiSC assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Readers are encouraged to check the accuracy of the information provided. Events that are free or cost less than $10 can be submitted for inclusion in the calendar. GUiSC does not guarantee that a submitted event will automatically be included. Preference is given for events of interest to children and/or parents. Submit entries at growingupsc.com/events/ community/add. Calendar entries must be received by the 15th of the month prior to the month of the event. To find out more about promoting your event further or including a paid event, email advertising@growingupsc.com.
Guided hikes and time for oceanfront stillness and quiet reflection
Easy yoga, gentle movement, breath and deep rest
A Madeiran culinary experience to savor and share
Explore Madeira’s hidden corners, hand-picked by a local rooted here
Wine tasting at Blandy’s, one of Madeira’s most iconic cellars
Learn more: themadeiraexperience.com
@themadeiraexperience
For women ready to walk their own beautiful path — with purpose, presence, and pause.
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It Takes a Village to Support a Family
BY TOVAH PETRA KOLODINSKI
There is an old saying that has been around for generations: it takes a village to raise a child.
The older I get, the more I believe it is true. But over the years, I have come to see those words a little differently.
I don’t think it simply takes a village to raise a child.
I think it takes a village to support a family.
And when a family feels supported, children feel it too.
For most of my life, I have been trying to understand how children learn, adapt, and develop. Part of that journey began as a little girl with an IEP who often felt overwhelmed in school. I remember sitting in meetings while adults discussed accommodations, goals, and my future. During one of those meetings, my dad said something that has stayed with me for decades.
“All I care about is my daughter’s confidence, and if that’s good, you won’t hear from me.”
At the time, I didn’t fully understand what he meant.
Today, I do.
He wasn’t dismissing academics. He understood that confidence matters. A child who feels believed in, encouraged, and valued approaches challenges differently. Looking back, I think that simple statement shaped the way I would spend the rest of my life thinking about children and families.
That belief eventually led me to earn a Master’s degree in Human Development. I wanted to understand what helps children succeed and what helps families stay strong. I studied theories, research, and child development across the lifespan. But one of my greatest teachers wasn’t graduate school.
It was becoming a homeschool mom.
Homeschooling taught me that some of the most important lessons happen outside of a curriculum. Some of the most meaningful growth happened while baking in the kitchen, exploring our beautiful beaches and redwoods, traveling and learning about other cultures, reading together, learning about money and how to make thoughtful financial decisions, staying true to our values, playing in mixed-age groups of children, working in the garden, talking around the dinner table, and simply doing life together.
No rushing. Just being in connection. Those moments weren’t separate from learning that happened in a classroom or school. They were learning.
They built confidence, communication, problem solving, responsibility, and relationships. They reminded me that development is woven into everyday life.
Over the years, my work has allowed me to walk alongside many incredible children and families. I’ve sat in living rooms, classrooms, and IEP meetings. I’ve celebrated first friendships, new words, developed speech, growing confidence, and moments that might
seem small to someone else but meant everything to a family.
I’ve also sat with parents carrying responsibilities that few people ever see.
People often ask, “What does this child need?”
It’s an important question.
Some children need therapy.
Some need accommodations.
Some need a different educational environment.
Some need specialized support.
I believe deeply in those resources, and I have seen how life changing they can be.
But somewhere along the way, I started asking another question.
What does this family need?
Because children don’t grow up inside appointments.
They grow up inside families.
And families grow inside communities.
The greatest progress I’ve witnessed rarely happened because one person had all the answers. It happened when the people surrounding a child worked together.
A parent who felt encouraged.
A teacher who saw strengths.
A therapist who partnered with the family.
Grandparents who stayed involved.
Friends who made room.
Neighbors who knew a child’s name. No one person carried the entire journey.
Together, they became the village.
As someone who supports many families raising children with Autism and ADHD, I believe this becomes even more important. These parents are often coordinating services, advocating at school, learning new strategies, and celebrating victories that others may never notice.
If I were raising a child with profound Autism or significant ADHD today, one of my first priorities would absolutely be finding quality support and services. But right alongside that, I would intentionally build a village around my family.
Not because therapy isn’t important. It is. Not because education isn’t important. It absolutely is.
But because I don’t believe one person changes a child’s life.
I believe a network of caring people can make an incredible difference.
As beautiful as a village can be, I’ve also learned that building one requires wisdom. Not every opinion deserves equal weight.
As parents, we hear advice from every direction. Sometimes it’s helpful. Sometimes it’s well intentioned but doesn’t fit our child or our family.
Sometimes it leaves us questioning ourselves. Those voices may come from social media, friends, extended family members, or people who genuinely care but see the situation differently.
One of the healthiest things we can do is protect the emotional climate of our home.
Building a village doesn’t mean giving everyone a vote in how we raise our children.
It means intentionally surrounding ourselves with people who strengthen our family.
People who encourage instead of criticize.
People who ask questions before making assumptions.
People who celebrate progress instead of comparison.
People who remind us that every child develops on their own timeline.
Our children often borrow our confidence before they build their own. If we allow every outside opinion to determine the peace within our home, our family can begin to feel uncertain.
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is being grounded enough to learn from others, grateful enough to accept help, and confident enough to trust what is right for our family.
When I look around Santa Cruz County, I don’t see a community lacking heart. I see caring teachers, dedicated professionals, grandparents who want to help, coaches who invest in children, churches that welcome families, local businesses that support their communities, and neighbors who simply need an invitation to know one another.
The pieces are already here.
What if we became more intentional about bringing them together?
What if supporting families became
one of the greatest ways to support children?
My life’s work has never simply been about helping a child reach the next milestone.
It has always been about supporting the whole family.
Because when parents feel encouraged, siblings feel included, grandparents feel valued, and communities come alongside one another, families become stronger, more connected, and better equipped to help every child develop strong roots.
Maybe that’s what “it takes a village” has meant all along.
Not that parents aren’t enough. But that they were never meant to do it alone.
And perhaps the greatest gift we can give the next generation is creating spaces, opportunities, and supportive communities where children and families can thrive together.
Perhaps it’s choosing to become the village for one another.
Tovah Petra, MA, is a trauma-informed somatic practitioner and creator of the Whole Family, Whole Child approach. She helps parents of neurodivergent children create emotionally safe, attuned, and connected homes—while nurturing their own nervous systems, relationships, and intimate connection. Learn more at: www.tovahpetra.com
Men’s Mental Health
BY JAIME MCFADEN
July is here, and you know what that means. School is out for summer, vacations have begun, and the rhythm of life shifts. For many of us, it’s the season we look forward to all year.
June was Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and as someone who lost a beloved family member last year to mental health struggles, I want to take every opportunity to shed light on something that too often remains in the dark.
Men’s mental health is often called a “silent epidemic” because statistically and historically, men are far less likely to speak openly about what they’re experiencing. More than 6 million men struggle with depression each year, and men die by suicide nearly four times more often than women. It’s time we challenge the stigma, start more conversations, and come together to be part of the change.
As a mom raising a son, I have never felt more compelled to lean into the challenges many men face and help create safe spaces where both men and women feel supported, seen, and heard. Losing my uncle Sammy, a man who was the sunshine in everyone’s
day, who appeared to have everything together on the outside while carrying so much on the inside: was a heartbreaking reminder that many men are not OK. At his funeral, someone shared a statistic with me that has stayed in my heart ever since: many men will only receive flowers at their funeral.
That realization hit hard. Much deeper than the flowers.
This summer, I’m bringing together our village community for a special paddle out and circle in Capitola to honor those we love who have struggled with mental health, remember those we’ve lost, and create space for meaningful connection and conversation. Capitola Beach July 11 9AM I would love for you to join us.
Alongside the gathering, I wanted to share a few local resources and people doing incredible work in our community.
Maria, owner of Pretty Petals Arrangements, believes deeply that men deserve to feel appreciated and celebrated too. She and I have talked about how meaningful it can be to receive flowers: not because of the flowers themselves, but because of what they represent: love, gratitude,
acknowledgment, and care.
Maybe this is your reminder to send flowers to a man you love.
I’ve started asking men what their favorite flower is, and it’s been fascinating how many have an answer, and how many admit they would genuinely love to receive them.
Pretty Petals Arrangements will be partnering with us for the event and helping us spread awareness around men’s mental health.
The team at Capitola Beach Company helped organize a paddle out for my uncle last year, and I witnessed firsthand the healing power of being in the ocean together. Whether through surfing, paddling, or simply spending time near the water, movement and nature are powerful tools for mental wellness.
If you or someone you know has ever wanted to get into the water, Matt and Jill at the shop are wonderful resources for lessons, rentals, and support.
Sam Kabert, Emotional Fitness Trainer + Speaker is also a local entrepreneur who runs a powerful breathwork community and advocates
THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS
for emotional fitness, especially for men. He has openly shared parts of his own journey and is passionate about helping others heal through breathwork and mindfulness practices.
Last but not least, Brittani Bolke, a transformation coach and Reiki Healer, will be joining us as well. Through her work, she helps people feel seen, heard, and supported while honoring the emotions that make us human.
One thing I’ve learned is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing.
Sometimes the most profound shifts begin with a single moment. One conversation. One invitation. One reminder that you are not alone.
As we move through this summer, I hope you’ll take a moment to check in on the men in your life. Call your strong friend. Ask your husband how he’s really doing. Create space for your son, brother, father, or colleague to share openly.
You never know what someone may be carrying underneath it all. And sometimes, feeling seen can change everything. May we remember we are all divinely connected this summer and support one another.
We're not just your bankers, we’re also your neighbors! This summer, you might just spot us at the same beach, festival, or ice cream shop as you.
NICOLE BEAVER
AVP, Regional Manager
Splashing in the waves at Pleasure Point Beach with her kids, good local eats at East Side Eatery and Pleasure Pizza, then toasting s'mores. "There's nothing be er than ending the day under the stars together."
RAQUEL DIAZ
Service Manager, Aptos
Every summer, Raquel makes sure a few things are always on the calendar. Hiking Nisene Marks, lunch at the Parish, and the Watsonville Strawberry Festival are some favorites.
FELISA GARCIA
AVP, Branch Manager, River Street
For Felisa, summer in Santa Cruz never gets old. She spends her days at the beach with her kids, and when the Santa Cruz County Fair rolls around, the whole family heads out to see the animals.
CHRISTINA RAMIREZ
Lead Financial Services
O cer, Freedom
A walk along Pleasure Point and a pepperoni slice from Pleasure Pizza is tradition she's shared with her son since he was a baby. "Now as a toddler, the pepperoni pizza is still his favorite.”
July 4th Parade Rundown
BY GWYNETH HOLCOMB
Fourth of July is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the United States 250th birthday than with one of the parades taking place? From Santa Cruz to Watsonville, Santa Cruz County has plenty of parades to offer this Independence Day.
Families can start the morning in Boulder Creek for a pancake breakfast, hit Aptos to catch the “World’s Shortest Parade,” or head to Watsonville to kick off the 4th of July with a flyover by the West Coast Ravens.
SEABRIGHT’S INAUGURAL
FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
The Seabright neighborhood is hosting its first Fourth of July parade.
Starting at 10am in front of the Seabright Beach parking lot on East Cliff Drive (near Cliff Drive Vista Point). The parade will follow East Cliff Drive before turning onto Seabright Avenue. It is scheduled to end at the intersection of Seabright Avenue and Murray Street in front of Day’s Market by approximately 11am.
Event Coordinator Shane Skelton started organizing the parade a year ago, working with the Santa Cruz Neighbors Association to put it together.
“I’ve always thought it would be really cool if Santa Cruz actually had a Fourth of July parade,” said Skelton. “It’s nice just to be able to walk down to a parade and enjoy it in your own neighborhood.”
The parade will include live music, themed vehicle floats and costumed participants. Locals can apply to volunteer for event setup or to participate.
Local drivers should plan in advance, as parts of East Cliff Drive and Seabright Avenue will be closed to through traffic from 8am–noon, and for “No Parking/ Tow Away” parking restrictions before the parade. In addition, starting at 7am, “No Parking” mandates will be in effect along the parade route.
Parade starting address: Cliff Drive Vista Point, 1156 E Cliff Drive
Ending address: Day’s Market 526 Seabright Ave
BOULDER CREEK’S OVER 100-YEAR-OLD PARADE
The Fourth of July parade traditions will extend into the Santa Cruz Mountains, where, the town has been hosting the Fourth of July Parade in the historic downtown of Boulder Creek for over hundred non-consecutive year, according to Tess Fitzgerald, president of the Boulder Creek Business Association.
The Parade will run from 10am–noon in downtown Boulder Creek. But the Fourth of July festivities will begin well before, at 7am., with a pancake breakfast at the Boulder Creek firehouse, additionally hosted by the Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
Prices are $5 for children under 12 and $15 for adults. Proceeds from the breakfast will go towards purchasing medical and rescue equipment for the department.
“It’s just a really good family event,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s a lot of fun — we love it.”
The parade will be grand marshaled by Dr. Kenneth Reed, a longtime community physician, said Fitzgerald.
According to the association, in 2005,
Reed came out of retirement to help provide medical care for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.
He’s served the Boulder Creek community for decades and has been a longtime supporter of the business association, Fitzgerald added. “One of those quiet helpers that don’t really look for attention, but aim to serve.”
The parade will include decorative floats and is aiming to have about 70 entries, according to Fitzgerald.
“And I heard it on good authority that we’ll have the sheriff up there,” said Fitzgerald. “So we’ll have our little semi-celebrity rolling through the parade as well.”
Following the parade, at Junction Park, the Boulder Creek Recreation and Parks District is hosting a “4th of July BBQ & Bands Party” from noon–4pm.
The event will feature gold panning for children, local vendors, food trucks, beverages, and live music from two bands, said Kelly Pruden, the event coordinator & office manager.
Drivers in the area should plan for a closure of Highway 9 through downtown Boulder for the duration of the parade, approximately 10am–12pm, according to Pruden, with a detour route provided.
To register a parade entry or for more information, individuals can visit the Boulder Creek Business Association website (bcba.net).
Parade starting address: Downtown Boulder Creek, Mountain Street, Boulder Creek.
BBQ & Bands After Party: Junction Park, Middleton Avenue and, Junction Ave, Boulder Creek.
Pancake breakfast: Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire House, 13230 Central Ave, Boulder Creek.
IN SCOTTS VALLEY: A PARADE THAT STARTS WITH A PLANE
Is it a bird? Is it a plane?… Wait, no, it’s a 4th of July Parade and Block Party( with a flyover).
The City of Scotts Valley is hosting a 4th of July Parade, starting at 11am. The parade will kick off with a flyover, then march up and down Scotts Valley Drive before ending at Carbonero Way.
Coinciding with the parade, from 9am–3pm, the city will co-host a Block Party with the Boys and Girls Club on Scotts Valley Drive, featuring food trucks from Food Trucks A Go Go and live music, with a beer garden hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Scotts Valley. The city Parks and Recreation will block off the parking lot for the festivities, which will be decked out with awnings and hay bales for seating and optimal viewing of the parade.
Attendees should note that parts of Scotts Valley Drive will be closed for the festivities.
Parade starting and ending address: Scotts Valley Dr. and Carbonero Way, Scotts Valley
Block party address: Boys and Girls Club, 5060 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley IN APTOS: THE “WORLD’S SHORTEST PARADE”
In Aptos, for the 65th year in a row, the Aptos Chamber of Commerce is organizing
the “World’s Shortest Parade,” which may be short in length, but won’t be short on fun.
Starting at 10am in front of the Wells Fargo Bank at the corner of State Park Drive and Soquel Drive in Aptos Village, the parade will last about an hour and will be grand marshaled by Seascape Golf Club in honor of the club’s 100th anniversary, according to the Aptos Chamber of Commerce.
According to John Hibble, the Aptos Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director in 1961, the parade was created to celebrate the rejection of the Granite Rock Company’s proposal to move to Aptos. The celebratory parade on the following 4th of July lasted only 10 minutes, earning it the name “World’s Shortest Parade.”
Following the parade, from noon–4pm, spectators can attend the party at Aptos Village County Park. The park will include live music from The Joint Chiefs, vendors, food and drink, and fun for the whole family.
To register to participate in or sponsor the parade, individuals can visit the Chamber of Commerce website (AptosChamber.com) or call 831.688.1467.
Parade starting address: Wells Fargo Bank, corner of State Park Drive and Soquel Drive 7701 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA 95003
Party in the Park: Aptos Village County Park,
100 Aptos Creek Rd
CELEBRATE THE SPIRIT OF WATSONVILLE PARADE
The city of Watsonville is hosting the Spirit of Watsonville Parade, starting at 12:30pm in the historic downtown.
The parade plans to feature community organizations, local businesses, and public safety personnel, along with a flyover by the West Coast Ravens.
Following the parade at the Watsonville Municipal Airport, residents can attend the Fire in the Sky Open House. The event includes plans for aircraft displays, flyovers, live music, a patriotic parachute flag jump, and more, starting at 4:30pm. To end the evening, a fireworks show will begin at roughly 8:30pm.
Drivers should be aware that Main Street between Freedom Boulevard and First Street, as well as neighboring streets, will be temporarily closed from 8:30am to 4:30pm. In addition, from 3pm to 8pm due to the Fire in the Sky event, Airport Boulevard between Hangar Way and Airport Road will be closed.
Residents and drivers can visit watsonville.gov for more information on the upcoming events and traffic.
Parade starting address: St Patrick’s Catholic Parish, 721 Main St, Watsonville.
Fire in the Sky Open House: Watsonville Municipal Airport, 100 Aviation Way, Watsonville.
Speaking Wildly, Sailing Bravely BOOK REVIEW
BY JOHN LOUIS KOENIG
Some of the best children’s books stay with us because they give us something to wonder about after the last page is turned. Two new picture books do that in very different ways. One invites children to invent new words for the natural world, and one imagines what could happen when a safe haven is threatened by things we can’t control.
WILDSPEAK
Exploring Nature Through Imagination and Creative Language, is a joyful invitation to step outside and listen with more than our ears. Two young girls take a walk through nature with their mother, discovering the small wonders around them and finding words for what they see and feel.
Author Sangma Francis shows us that nature already has a language, but children can add to it. She shares real words to learn, but Wildspeak also encourages children to create words of their own. That may be the book’s most memorable gift. Children are natural word-learners and word-makers. They mash sounds together, rename things, and often come up with descriptions that feel fresher than adult language. A glittering stream might need a new word. Maybe a cloud at
sunset, a field full of seed-bearing flowers, or the strange feeling of standing under trees while the wind moves through them.
This isn’t only playful; it teaches attention too. To name something with an invented word, a child must look closely. What color is it? Does it have a scent? Is it soft, spooky, or sticky? A made-up word can become a tiny poem.
The illustrations by Lexi Vangsnes support that sense of discovery and invitation, mixing new words and familiar images. It would be especially fun to read before a walk, asking children to think of their own wild words. The results can be silly fun, or surprisingly beautiful.
THE OUTERMOST MOUSE
The Outermost Mouse by Lauren
Wolk, illustrated by Kristen Adam, begins at the edge of the world (or at least at the edge of Cape Cod) where a small mouse lives in a beloved seaside house surrounded by sand, sea and sky. The mouse loves the warmth and shelter of the house, the treasures inside it, the ticking clock, the light, the wind, and the wild beauty of the shore. Kristen Adam’s watercolor illustrations create a real sense of place, cozy yet immense to a tiny mouse. Then the sea begins to change and the beach shrinks. The waves come closer as a storm approaches, and the other animals understand that it is time to flee inland. The mouse tries to warn them, and she tries to protect what she loves. She works hard and builds barriers, refusing to believe that her precious house could be carried away.
That is where the book becomes more than an animal story. The Outermost Mouse relates to the kind of attachment that children have to places of security — a house to come home to, a favorite tree to climb, a blanket fort to hide in — a corner of the world that feels like theirs.
When the storm finally lifts the house from the shore and carries it out to sea, the story shifts from loss into adventure. The house becomes a ship. The mouse becomes its captain.
The ending is open, and that is part of its power. Some readers may worry about the mouse, but the final image suggests something braver and brighter. She is not shown as defeated. She looks thrilled, astonished, alive to the wild possibility ahead. The sea that threatened her home has also opened the whole world.
That makes The Outermost Mouse a wonderful book to keep imagining after the last page. Where will she go? Will she land at a Santa Cruz harbor, in a quiet cove, or on a wild shore with welcoming animals? Perhaps a different destination after each reading. Children may want to draw maps of her voyage or invent the next chapter. The book gives children a brave little traveler and lets their imaginations sail with her.
Easing Lower Back Pain: The Core Connection
BY MONICA MENARD|
Certified Personal Trainer and Prenatal Postpartum Specialist
Intentional core work is the key to stabilizing the lumbar spine for load management. Joints in our body prioritize stability or mobility as we move throughout our day. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments which prioritize mobility or stability at given times depend upon what we are trying to do physically, but structural problems like alignment or weakness puts pain in the drivers seat. It causes areas which should be stable to be mobile. This problem would be like playing a block stacking game like Jenga game with a few jello blocks which move and shift introducing instability into The lumbar spine needs to be supported through stability during movement and lifting and the musculature responsible for doing so are our deep core muscles. This is why if our core is weak the lumbar
spine cannot stabilize and support the work we are attempting to do. Shifting this imbalance is easy by engaging your deeper core muscles. Train them often so they help your body move with ease. Take five minutes and do this small circuit I recommend to all my female clients, especially prenatal and post-partum, but core work is helpful to us all. Try this routine daily.
360 DEGREE BREATHING: (SAFE FOR PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM)
Set up
In seated position, hands around the ribs, inhale fully expanding your ribs.
Perform
Exhale fully and slower than the inhale. You should feel the hands come closer to one another as the result of the exhale. Relax and begin again. Do this until your abdominals are tired.
DUMBBELL TABLE-TOP WITH LEG LOWERING: (SAFE ONLY FOR FIRST TRIMESTER IF PREGNANT)
Set up
Begin by laying on your back, holding dumbbells above your chest, arms extended straight reaching for the ceiling, legs bent 90 degrees, hips 90 degrees (90-90) feet off the ground. Exhale press the low back to the floor. (see photo)
Performing
Keeping knees bent, tap one heel to the ground and return to 90-90. Alternate legs.
While you alternate legs, move the weight over head alternating arms with opposite leg.
Keep your core still while preforming this move. No arching your back or doming out your abdominals. Perform this move for 30 seconds three times.
Let me know what you think! Your Trainer, Monica
Visit my website for more resources on working out safety for general fitness, while pregnant or postpartum. Find also, by scanning the code, a free e-guide to fitness through all trimesters in pregnancy.
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Please mention this article for a free consultation.
What is written here is intended solely for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of your doctor.
Monica Menard is a C.P.T. Certified Personal Trainer and Prenatal Postpartum Specialist. Mention this article for a free consultation.
ALL ABOUT ANIMALS
Teaching Kids Compassion for Animals
BY CELINE SAN LUIS
Let’s learn with the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) this upcoming Fall 2026! With the support of the SCCAS Foundation, we are very excited to restart the Humane Education program. With a variety of engaging presentation topics ranging from general animal needs to pet overpopulation prevention, students will be empowered with information and community resources.
The program primarily serves grades K–5 and can be customized for other audiences. Additionally, the presentations extend beyond the classroom. This experience is designed to promote compassion, responsible pet ownership, and animal welfare through interactive learning experiences for schools, libraries, youth organizations, and other interested community groups.
PERSONAL CONNECTION: WE ALL HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE!
Growing up, my family and I did not have any cats, dogs, or pocket pets in our household. I remember watching shows with pets, especially canines like ScoobyDoo and Clifford the Big Red Dog, and wondered what sorts of adventures I could have experienced with them.
I had a handful of stuffed animals and some friends who had pets in their families for me to occasionally spend time with, but the responsibilities of actual pet ownership was something I had yet to understand. Fast forward to many years later, I found myself working for a veterinary clinic in Sunnyvale. I started as a kennel technician and worked my way towards being a veterinary assistant. There, I learned that pets are almost just like us! They need yearly medical check-ups, dental procedures, and grooming! Even x-rays! The beginning of
my time there was not the smoothest, to say the least. Having no furry friends of my own, never being a petsitter, and only having a few experiences of being around pets of family friends, I had no clue what kind of animal behavior I would encounter or how to handle them.
A lot of patience, careful observations of animal body language, and the support of my co-workers at the time led to me becoming more comfortable handling the pets of clients. One of my favorite memories was meeting a Rottweiler named Harley. At first, I was hesitant and nervous to interact with Harley. He was big, energetic, and his barks echoed down the hallway. After reading his notes and hearing about his positive interactions with other staff members, I mustered up the courage to take him out for a walk and yard play. Slow is pro. Don’t rush trying to leash him. Open the kennel door slowly. His barks, wiggly body, and even a play bow greeted me. He’s just a big baby, I thought. When we made it to the yard, all he wanted was belly rubs, petting, and treats.
A big, goofy pupper. Harley soon became one of my favorite clinic pets and to this day, I have an album on my phone with photos of me and Harley.
PET OF THE MONTH
Miss Fame
Meet Miss Fame, an adorable puppy with a big personality and an even bigger future ahead of her! Miss Fame is part of a litter that arrived at the Shelter as strays, so little is known about their lives before coming into our care. At first, she was a bit shy while adjusting to the big world around her, but she has quickly blossomed into a confident, playful pup. Like most puppies, Miss Fame is full of energy and will benefit from plenty of exercise, enrichment, training, and love. Ready to add some star power to your family? Come meet Miss Fame today!
WHY HUMANE EDUCATION MATTERS: WE CAN LEARN TOGETHER!
As the community’s most comprehensive animal care organization, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is the only opendoor open-intake shelter in the community; we provide a variety of programs and services in the community.
One of the valuable offerings SCCAS can provide is educational outreach in schools. Classroom visits for students K-5th grade create meaningful opportunities for children to learn about animals in an engaging and memorable way. These visits often include age-appropriate lessons and craft activities about animal care, safety around pets, empathy, and responsible decision-making. Children may have the opportunity to meet shelter animals, hear stories about rescued pets, and learn how shelters help animals find loving homes.
Educational classroom visits can be especially impactful for children who may not have pets at home, like me growing up! These programs provide direct experiences that help students build confidence and understanding around animals. It also helps children overcome fears or misconceptions they may have.
Animals can serve as powerful teachers of empathy, patience, and responsibility. When children learn how their actions affect an animal’s well-being, they begin to recognize their own ability to make a positive difference. By bringing these experiences into the classroom, shelters make animal education accessible to all students regardless of their personal circumstances. LET’S GET CONNECTED!
To schedule FREE presentations from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, please visit our Humane Education website (scanimalshelter.org/humane-education) to browse our offerings and submit the Google Form found on the same page.
Celine San Luis is the Humane Education Coordinator and can be reached at celine@scanimalshelterfoundation.org
FEATURE
Growing Up as a Girl in the Boy Scouts of America
BY SADIE MAHER
When I first joined the Boy Scouts of America at 13 and a half, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
In 2018, the 109-year-old organization announced it would open its doors to girls and, in 2025, change its name from “Boy Scouts” to “Scouting America.” The national reaction was mixed, ranging from outrage in right-wing circles to support from more progressive communities.
In Santa Cruz, many families like mine leaped with excitement. Now, young girls have the same opportunities as boys to achieve their goals and gain valuable life skills. In 2014, I moved from the East Coast to Santa Cruz—my family—originally from New Jersey—always loved camping.
We owned a pop-up camper and drove our old Ford Explorer up and down the Eastern Seaboard, visiting Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and more. The outdoors was always a big part of my life. My older brother, five years my senior, joined Cub Scouts and later transitioned to Boy Scouts. He and my dad took trips with his troop in Pennsylvania and California, backpacking, camping, and hiking. Eventually, my brother earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. While living in Pennsylvania, I joined my local Girl Scout troop. Girl Scouts is a completely different organization from Scouting America. I’m not here to criticize Girl Scouts—I know many scouts who have participated in both programs and loved them.
Girl Scouts has provided countless girls with amazing experiences. For me, though, my short stint in Girl Scouts lacked adventure and purpose. While my brother and his friends were backpacking and getting their hands dirty, I was limited to arts and crafts. I craved more: I wanted to pitch a tent, start a campfire, and truly experience the outdoors.
In 2019, my opportunity finally arrived. A father from Scotts Valley reached out to my dad with an idea: Why not start an all-girls troop in Scouting America? Calling my dad excited would be an understatement.
After guiding my brother to the rank of Eagle Scout, he was thrilled to help me pursue the same achievement. With paperwork filed at the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay council, Troop 673 was born. When a troop is formed, members choose a meeting place—maybe a church, community center, or library. We hadn’t found a permanent spot, so we gathered every Monday at our scoutmaster Charlie’s house. There were just eight of us at the start, forming the foundation of our troop. We named ourselves the Mockingjays, inspired by The Hunger Games, and designed our own blue Mockingjay patrol patch. We also began planning our very first outing. Our first trip to Big Sur was a whirlwind. It was the first time I learned how to set up a tent—one I have continued to use despite its bag falling apart and
tearing. It’s a good tent, having withstood snowstorms and violent Sierra Nevada thunderstorms.
The troop gathered around the crackling campfire, where we held our very first troop election. These democratic elections are usually held semiannually and allow multiple scouts to be elected to leadership positions, such as Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Chaplain’s Aide, and others. I was elected to both Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Chaplain’s Aide because our scoutmaster and the senior patrol leader recognized my young, ambitious leadership qualities.
I was chosen to be a Chaplain’s Aide because I had brought a tiny Buddha statue for the trip. At the time, my dad had been visiting the Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel for quite some time, and I had accompanied him to meditation classes. I was very attached to my Buddha statue, bringing it on multiple backpacking trips and using it as a charm for safety and luck.
Although I hadn’t grown up in a religious household, my parents instilled a strong moral code in my brother and me. I read the children’s Bible, but we never attended a specific church. We lived by the Scout Oath and Law, the code all scouts recite at every scout meeting, court of honor, and any scouting event that includes it.
The Oath: “On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” The Law: A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
After our first few trips through early 2019, it was time for a scout’s most exciting trip: summer camp. Camp Chawanakee on Shaver Lake was chosen as our first summer camp. Before the destructive 2020 Creek Fire, which destroyed much of the surrounding Sierra National Forest, Camp Chawanakee sat in some of the most
more anxious.
As T673 landed on the island, I quickly realized we may not have been as welcome as I had thought. The group of boys was large, and they wanted us off their turf, shouting and arguing as we tried to find space.
Fed up with the treatment, Charlie guided our troop away from the chaos, and we found a small, quieter space where another troop allowed us to share. We set up our sleeping bags and soon fell asleep to the sound of an owl hooting in the distance. This was one of the first instances of sexism I remember experiencing.
We haven’t gone to Chawanakee since. The pandemic disrupted everyone’s lives in Santa Cruz and around the world. Everything from sports teams to scouting was put on pause.
beautiful forest and lake country I had ever seen.
I had only been to Yosemite and Lassen National Park and had not yet experienced the Sierra Nevada. To get there, the scouts piled into a few parental cars and drove through the Central Valley, past Fresno, and into the windy foothills.
Then the brown, dry grass slowly gave way to picturesque, serene ponderosa pines, incense cedar, and white fir trees. We passed by beautiful green mountain meadows before arriving at the camp. Chawanakee spans 400 acres, has 23 designated campsites with fire rings, and can accommodate around 500 scouts weekly. Troop 673 was incredibly lucky to be assigned a lake-facing campsite.
Every evening, we got to watch the beautiful sunset and wake up to the peaceful sounds of boats and jet skis from lake-goers. The camp had a gorgeous waterfront, a rock-climbing tower, a tall dining hall, a campfire bowl, and a trading post where scouts and adults could purchase everything from camp merch and snacks to the now-deceased Klondike Choco Tacos.
I was in awe at every sight. The flag meadow was beside the huge climbing tower and surrounded by beautiful pine trees. You couldn’t help but look straight up as the morning flags were raised. As our week went on, we noticed that we were among the few all-girl troops attending.
This was likely because girls had only recently been allowed to join scouting. Throughout the week, we began to feel sidelined, ignored, and sometimes discriminated against. At the end of the week, everyone in camp went on an overnight adventure: you and two other scouts would canoe across the lake and sleep on a nearby island beach—without a tent, of course.
I was already nervous about sleeping under the stars, and seeing a huge crowd of teenage boys screaming and shouting as our canoes approached made me even
Zoom became the new meeting place for everyone, including T673. I struggled through the end of 8th grade and the beginning of my first year of high school. But that summer quickly became one of the most memorable and adventure-filled summers I could ever remember. Since most scout camps were closed due to the pandemic, T673 got creative. We made our own summer camp of sorts, heading up to Lassen Volcanic National Park and camping on Butte Lake near the Cinder Cone. We paddle boarded, earned merit badges, climbed volcanoes, and hiked the surrounding areas. Earlier in June, 673 went on a huge backpacking trip.
Hiking around Florence Lake and learning that walking five miles in Santa Cruz was incredibly different than hiking five miles in the Sierras. It was on that trip that our scoutmaster, Charlie, coined an iconic sentence that would forever be remembered: “It’s just around the next bend”.
Anytime one of us would ask, “How much further?”, he would reply with this.
Even though I have countless stories to tell, I can’t possibly include every single one in this story. Scouting gave me an amazing opportunity to discover myself and grow.
I made mistakes, yes, but I learned from them and became a better person.
On June 1st, 2023, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout. I’ll admit, there were times in my journey where I thought I’d never become an Eagle Scout. I was notorious for comparing myself to others, including my older brother.
But my parents were there for me. My dad cheered me on as I sold popcorn to raise money for our troop. He cheered me on through every single rank, and he went on countless trips. We formed so many good memories as a family, and I’m so thankful for my first scoutmaster, Charlie, for being an amazing scoutmaster.
I can’t wait to keep writing stories about scouting, and I hope to keep inspiring girls to become leaders in their communities. No matter how many times politicians say that girls can’t do something, there are girls who rise and uplift those around them.
AT SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE Gates
open at 10AM Show begins at 12PM
KIDS AGE 12 AND UNDER ARE FREE WITH A PAID ADULT TICKET.
Bring your young theatre enthusiasts to enjoy a day with Santa Cruz Shakespeare at the Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park!
• Get your face painted!
• Make your own masquerade mask!
• Learn about marine animals!
• Meet Santa Cruz Firefighters!
• Grab a cold drink, treat or snack at SCS’s food and drink experience Line 38 — check out the Family Day specials!
• Bring a picnic and enjoy lunch in our beautiful picnic area overlooking Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay!
• Enjoy the SCS production of Much Ado About Nothing
