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Posted inK-12 Education

Santa Cruz County public school staffing woes ease ahead of start of the academic year

by Hillary Ojeda

After struggling to fill vacancies for the past few years, several Santa Cruz public school districts say staffing levels going into the new academic year are better thanks to a combination of lower turnover compared to the pandemic years and new contracts that have boosted pay for teachers in some districts. Still, officials say some positions that have traditionally been hard to fill, such as special education workers and bus drivers, continue to pose challenges.

Posted inOpinion from Community Voices

I think my mother-in-law has discovered the Fountain of Youth

by Claudia Sternbach

Juan Ponce de León never found the Fountain of Youth. In fact, he never even looked for it; that is just a weird rumor. But Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach, who often writes about life in her 70s, believes her 93-year-old mother-in-law, Rozzy, holds the secret many of us crave — the recipe for longevity. Rozzy is coming to California next week and is still wave jumping and making airport runs and hard to tire out, even in her ninth decade. She is also making Sternbach rethink her attitude about aging.

Posted inEnvironment

‘We are in a new era’: A year after reopening, how far has Big Basin come — and how far does it still need to go?

by Max Chun

Big Basin Redwoods State Park has made big strides since its reopening a year ago, with more trails and campgrounds reopened to the public now than over the last two years. However, the park in its current state is ‘almost unrecognizable’ from its pre-2020 iteration, parks officials say, even after nearly three years of intensive restoration work. Now, California State Parks is beginning the process of studying what kinds of new permanent facilities will be built in the park, and where.

Posted inArts & Entertainment

A brave new world: Sandy Skees shares how businesses can succeed with a new generation of consumers

by Wallace Baine

Business consultant Sandy Skees has written a new book titled “Purposeful Brands,” in which she argues that brands that put sustainability and diversity on the top of their priorities will be better off in the bottom line as well. She sees a new generation of consumers and workers poised to permanently change how the landscape looks for companies and brand managers.

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