September 2021

september 2021 

ART 

DANCE 

MUSIC 

THEATRE 

CRAFTY 

MAMA! 

Meet 4 moms who 

used the pandemic 

to launch 

businesses 

Dozens of 

creative 

ideas for 

your family 

THE 

Arts ISSUE 

MONTEREY BAY PARENT • september 2021 montereybayparent.com 1

2 montereybayparent.com MONTEREY BAY PARENT • september 2021

That time you flossed, but 

your hip didn’t. 

8 a.m.–8 p.m. every day including holidays 

Walk in or make a reservation online 

MoGoUrgentCare.org 

LOCATIONS 

Smarter, faster urgent care. 

Visit-related X-rays, lab work, and 

medications onsite and included 

in your co-pay or flat fee. 

y CARMEL 

26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite B-1 

y MARINA 

2930 2nd Avenue, Suite 120 

y MONTEREY 

2020 Del Monte Avenue, Suite B 


Contents 

september 2021 

in each issue: 

10 Father’s Day 

Local dad Rob Weisskirch 

covers parenting topics from 

a dad’s point of view. 

12 Grandma Says 

Tricia Vlasak shares her 

experience as the active, 

involved grandmother to two 

young children. 

14 Dear Teacher 

Two long time teachers 

answer your questions about 

education. 

15 The Deep Blue Bay 

Monterey Bay Whale Watch 

educates readers about 

Monterey Bay National 

Marine Sanctuary. 

30 Out & About 

Our top picks for September 

fun. 

on the cover 

The Arts Issue 

16 The Arts Guide. Art, Dance, 

Music, and Theatre classes 

and opportunities for children 

and adults. 

20 Crafty Families. The benefits 

of parent/child art projects. 

22 Musical Families: Enjoy the 

Sweet Sound of Success. 

Tips on integrating music 

into your family’s world. 

by Keith Turner 

24 Dance Like No One is 

Watching. Four reasons why 

you should consider dance 

classes for your child. 

26 Creative Products We Love. 

Six fun options to spark 

creativity in your child. 

by Elena Epstein, National 

Parenting Product Awards 

28 Creative Mama. Meet four 

mothers who turned their 

crafty ideas into businesses. 

by Jennie Blevins 

Beau Jimenez is a happy two and 

a half year old. He loves all things 

dinosaur, swimming and going to the 

aquarium to see all the sea creatures. 

He also earned the title of big brother 

in June. 

Photo by Albert Hoffman 

831-402-6204 • Hoffman-photo.com 

Notice the “smart links” throughout this issue? 

You can use them to explore extra content. 

Position your phone camera over the code and a 

tappable link will pop up. Test it out with the newsletter 

“subscribe” link to the right. 


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©2021 Cedar Fair, L.P. GA21-097 


from the publisher… 

Watch any toddler at play, and you’ll see 

creativity in action. They twirl, dance, sing 

made-up songs, they scribble with their 

crayons, never worrying about the outcome. 

If given the opportunity, kids will create. 

As parents, it’s up to us to provide those 

opportunities. That’s what this issue is all 

about–opportunities for engaging in the arts. 

To inspire you, there are articles about the 

benefits of parent/child art projects (page 16), 

tips on integrating music in your family (page 22), reasons why you 

should consider dance classes for your child (page 24), and creative 

products that we love (page 26). On page 28, Jennie Blevins profiles 

four local moms who turned their crafts into businesses (during the 

pandemic, no less!). 

In other big news this month, our Family Favorites nominations 

open on September 1. You have two weeks to nominate your 

favorites in various categories (see the list on page 7 or at 

MontereyBayParent.com). The final three in each category will 

be announced in our October issue, and voting for the winners 

opens on October 1. It’s a big deal for a business or organization 

to be named “Monterey Bay Family Favorite,” so please take a few 

minutes to nominate your faves. 

Finally, our Cover Kids Contest closes on September 15. Every 

entrant will receive a ticket to MY Museum and a treat from Kona 

Ice. This is the only way your child will appear on our cover, and 

this year we’ve opened things up for families to enter as well. Head 

to MontereyBayParent.com for entry details. 

Happy September! 

Andrea Breznay/Publisher 

Monterey Bay 

PARENT 

P.O. Box 806 

Pacific Grove, CA 93950 

MontereyBayParent.com 

831-582-1373 

Publisher 

Andrea Breznay 

abreznay@montereybayparent.com 

831-582-1373 

Sales Executive 

Danika Mallobox 

dmallobox@montereybayparent.com 

831-582-1770 

Cover Photographer 

Michelle Findlay 

ALBERT HOFFMAN 

Contributing Writers 

Jennie Blevins 

andrea breznay 

keith turner 

tricia vlasak 

rob weisskirch 

Editorial Submissions are welcome. We 

reserve the right to edit, reject or comment 

editorially on all material contributed. We 

cannot be responsible for return of any 

unsolicited materials. 

Articles and advertisements in Monterey Bay 

Parent do not necessarily reflect the opinion 

of the publisher nor does the publisher assume 

responsibility for statements made 

by our advertisers or editorial contributors. 

Acceptance of advertising by Monterey Bay 

Parent does not constitute an endorsement 

of the products, services or information. We 

do not knowingly present any product or 

service which is fraudulent or misleading 

in nature. 

Monterey Bay Parent is available free of 

charge at over 250 distribution points 

throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz 

counties as well as digitally at www.MontereyBayParent.com. 

Monterey Bay Parent is ©2021 by Monterey 

Bay Parent, LLC. All rights reserved. 

Reproduction in whole or part without 

written permission is strictly prohibited. 

reasons to partner 

with Trinity Christian 

1. Love for Christ and each other. 

2. Transformation of student lives. 

3. Outstanding education, arts, 

and athletics. 

4. Relationship-based school. Teachers 

treat each student with respect and 

concern, available to help students 

individually along the way, giving them 

the support they need to succeed. 

ENROLLING NOW 

GRADES 6-12 

visit trinityhigh.org 

(831) 656-5434 | 680 Belden, St. Monterey 


It’s time for 

Monterey Bay Parent 

Magazine’s Family 

Favorites! 

2021 

Family 

Favorites 

Nominations 

are now open 

Monterey Bay 

PARENT 

2020 

Being a Monterey Bay Parent Magazine 

Family Favorite is a BIG deal! 

Winners get to proudly display 

the Family Favorite logo and have 

bragging rights for an entire year. 

Nominate your favorites from September 1-15. 

We’ll announce the top 3 in each category 

in our October issue. 

You can then vote for the winners 

from October 1-15 

Winners 

announced 

in our 

November 

issue. 

Readers will be able to 

nominate their favorites 

in the following 

categories: 

CAMPS, LESSON & 

ACTIVITIES 

Afterschool Program 

Art Classes 

Dance Studio 

Gymnastics Program 

Music Lessons 

Sports League 

Summer Camp: General 

Summer Camp: 

Specialty 

Theatre Classes 

COMMUNITY 

Church 

Nonprofit organization 

serving families 

EDUCATION 

Charter School 

Daycare 

Preschool 

Private School- 

Lower Grades 

Private School- 

Upper Grades 

Public School- 

Lower Grades 

Public School- 

Upper Grades 

Tutoring Service 

FAMILY FUN 

Destination- 

San Francisco 

Destination-San Jose 

Destination- 

Santa Cruz 

Birthday party venue 

Birthday party 

entertainment/ 

decoration 

LOCALLY OWNED 

RESTAURANTS 

Bakery/Desserts 

Breakfast/Brunch 

Restaurant 

Coffee Shop 

Date Night Restaurant 

Family-Friendly Dining 

Ice Cream 

HEALTH & WELLNESS 

Children’s Dentist 

Doula/Birth Support 

Eye Care Provider 

Family Dental Practice/ 

Dentist 

Hospital 

Orthodontist 

Pediatrician 

Pediatric 

Medical Practice 

SERVICES 

Children’s Clothing/ 

Shoes 

Clothing Store/ 

Boutique for Mom 

Financial Services/ 

Insurance 

Gym/Personal Trainer 

Massage/Day Spa 

Pet Groomer 

Photographer 

Realtor 

Spa 

Veterinarian 

Yoga Studio/Teacher 

To nominate your faves, go to MontereyBayParent.com and click 

on the Family Favorites link on the home page. 

PLUS, you can win a FAMILY MEMBERSHIP to the Monterey Zoo 

(valued at $300) if you nominate at least ten of your favorites. 


Monte vista christian school 

Grades 6-12 

100 acre campus 

Day/Boarding 

Transportation 

Equestrian program 

Accepting applications 

mvcs.org 

*Home School Program – Grades TK-12 

*Independent Study Program – Grades 9-12 

*Fully Accredited by WASC! 

*No Interdistrict Transfer Required to Enroll! 

At Monterey County Home Charter School, students are given a 

rich, individually designed, tuition-free education while studying in 

a nonclassroom-based environment. Enrichment and intervention 

classes, workshops, field trips, tutoring sessions, concurrent enrollment, 

and weekly meetings with fully credentialed teachers give 

students every opportunity to succeed. 

For more information or to enroll, contact: 

Monterey County Home Charter School 

901 Blanco Circle, Salinas, CA 93912 

(831) 755-0331 • www.mchcs.org 


Monterey Bay Parent Magazine 

July 2021 

EMPOWERING 

STUDENTS TO SHAPE 

THEIR FUTURES 

WITH CONFIDENCE. 

Discover the opportunities awaiting 

your student at Kirby School. 

Contact our Admissions team to learn 

more about our test-free application 

process and to schedule a tour. 

Visit kirby.org for details. 

425 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 | 831-423-0658 


Father’s day by Rob Weisskirch 

Hands-On 

Science Fun 

in San Francisco 

Looking for a 

“go for the day” destination? 

The Exploratorium offers 

learning opportunities wrapped 

up in a whole lot of fun! 

My family and I had the opportunity to visit the 

Exploratorium at Pier 15 in San Francisco with the goal of 

exploring and then reporting back to the readers of Monterey 

Bay Parent. After weighing the risks and reading about 

the museum’s Covid-19 safety protocols, we decided to 

venture north to check out the museum for the day. My wife 

and I figured that, with our too-young-to-be-vaccinated 

daughter, we could leave and find other things to do in 

San Francisco if the museum was too crowded or not well 

regulated. Before the pandemic, I had lamented not having 

bigger city activities like those in San Jose and San Francisco 

that would give my daughter the cultural and educational 

experiences that my wife and I experienced growing up. The 

Exploratorium seemed like a great opportunity. 

If you are unfamiliar, the Exploratorium is a world-class 

science museum in San Francisco, located on Pier 15, near 

the Ferry Building, with 75,000 square feet of exhibition 

space. Here’s a tip: Call and ask what days and times are the 

slowest to avoid crowds. We went on a Sunday, traffic was 

as expected, and parking was ample. Like many museums 

and attractions, you submit a time in which you would like 

to be admitted for crowd regulation. There were touchless 

admissions and an attendant to help, hand sanitizer stations 

were everywhere, and all the staff and guests were wearing 

masks. Also, there were fewer people with the regulated time 

of admissions, making it easy to maintain social distance 

from other visitors. We also heard and saw the staff approach 

any guest who removed their mask, including the little ones. 

This made visiting during Covid times more enjoyable. 

What always strikes me about visiting museums like the 

Exploratorium is how clever the exhibits are in fusing science 

with interaction. As soon as we entered, my daughter was 

off pressing buttons and turning knobs on her own with 

the variety of exhibits, experimenting with controls to figure 

out the concepts. The museum has six galleries, including 

one that is outside. The galleries are Human Phenomena, 

Tinkering, Seeing & Reflections, Living Systems, Outdoor 

Exhibits, and Observing Landscapes. Each section immerses 

you into a new world of science and art. Art, perspective, 

color, and light are incorporated into each of the galleries. 

Even the restrooms include images of optical illusions on the 

tiles. 

The Explainers (staff) help to engage the visitors. At one 

station, my daughter arrived in time to aid in collecting water 

off the pier outside to show plankton on the projection 

microscope. Later, we returned to watch the live dissection 

of a cow’s eye. At another station, the Explainer engaged 

a small group with an opportunity for each kid to create 

a lightbulb filament with wire, batteries, and a jar and 

experiment with what would work to make the light last 

longer. I was impressed by the Explainer’s good training 

when she questioned the children into thinking critically 

about what to change to meet their goals. 

At lunchtime, we headed to the cafe that had a range 

of options of ready-made sandwiches, salads, and madeto-order 

hamburgers and fries, and beer and wine were 

available for the adults too. The choices are ample for most 

families--although very fussy eaters may want to bring food. 

Prices are museum prices but not outrageous. My daughter 


was speeding through her lunch to get to the 

outdoor gallery. She was eager to get on these 

circular chairs with rounded bottoms like a top. 

They are designed to spin on the bottom edge and 

not topple over. In addition, there is also an optical 

illusion house to walk through where it appears 

from one side that the inhabitants are growing 

in size. Clever! 

Another gallery looks out onto the 

bay and invites the visitors to draw 

what they see while looking through 

various colored and gridded lenses. 

My daughter sat down to draw the 

buildings and trees across the way. 

She added a cat in a boat because “it 

was too plain.” At the same time, 

her drawing showed that she 

understood how to use the grid 

lines on the lens to guide the 

proportions in her picture. A win 

for teaching that art and perspective principle! 

I anticipated that we would be there at most for 

a couple of hours with my daughter whipping through 

the exhibits and then getting bored. Instead, we were 

there for five hours until the museum closed. We 

probably could have stayed even longer, given the number 

of exhibits. Notice that I have continued to use “we.” Yes, 

my wife and I were equally entertained by the exhibits as 

our daughter, a sign of a quality museum appealing to all 

ages. I think, in my observation, that the museum is ideal 

for kids four years old and up. Pre-reading kids have plenty 

of things to do and touch that do not require 

reading the instructions. Kids with reading 

skills can easily engage with all aspects of 

the exhibits. 

For me, the day trip was worth it to 

give my daughter a new experience 

and learn about science and art 

in novel, interactive ways. To 

have an activity that kept 

my daughter engaged 

and learning and in a safer 

environment is a win. 

Robert (Rob) S. 

Weisskirch, MSW, Ph.D., 

CFLE is a Professor of Human 

Development at California State 

University, Monterey Bay and is a Certified 

Family Life Educator. He and his wife are 

parents to a chatty, elementary school aged 

daughter and reside in Marina. 

For more information on the Exploratorium, including 

current COVID safety requirements, please visit 

exploratorium.edu/visit. 


grandma says by Tricia Vlasak 

The Arts & Our 

Grandchildren 

How offering practical support to your 

grandchildren pays off for the entire family 

Creative and artistic pursuits help a 

child’s brain develop connections 

that will benefit them throughout the 

rest of their lives. Put scientifically, 

neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability 

to form and reorganize synaptic 

connections used for learning and 

healing following a brain injury – is 

achieved through exposure to the arts. 

Whether it is music, dancing, visual 

art, or some other creative pursuit, 

a child’s participation in the arts will 

quite literally benefit them for the rest 

of their lives, even long after they have 

stopped actively pursuing it. 

This may come as a surprise: an 

adult’s psychological resilience has 

been linked to their exposure to the 

creative arts as a child. Even as they 

make their way through elementary 

and high school, studies support the 

importance of art. Many medical 

schools require art courses as part of 

the medical curriculum, noting that 

performing arts, music, literature, and 

the visual arts “build critical thinking, 

observation, communication, bias 

awareness, and empathy skills that 

science just can’t provide.” 

How does this have anything 

to do with grandparenting? Because 

one of the best ways grandparents 

can support their grandchildren 

is by participating in arts activities 

with them. You could participate in 

an activity–painting, singing, going 

to a museum. Or, you could be the 

chauffeur! Hear me out, there are a 

ton of benefits to your grandchildren, 

your children, and to you when you 

step in to ferry grandkids to various 

afterschool activities. 

In addition to being a huge help 

to the parents, there is nothing quite 

as special as the time you spend 

supporting your grandchildren just 

by being there. I remember my 

grandmother picking my sister and 

me up from school and driving us to 

piano or dance lessons as a child. I 

remember her sitting proudly in the 

stands, watching me play my trumpet 

with the high school marching band. 

I remember her being at every dance 

recital, ready to take us out to ice 

cream afterward. She sat in the pew 

at church, beaming as we sang or 

played our instruments in front of the 

Don’t live close to your 

grandchildren? Here are three 

ways you can support their 

developing creativity: 

1. Purchase blank watercolor 

postcards and address to yourself and 

stamp them. Ask your grandchildren’s 

parents to encourage them to write 

or draw you something every couple 

of weeks. What a treasure to have a 

tangible record of their growth and 

their drawing matures and they learn 

to write. 

2. Send each grandchild a book a 

month. Focus on books with beautiful 

illustrations. If you can afford it, buy 

yourself the same book and spend 

some Zoom time reading aloud to your 

grandchild as they follow along in their 

own book. 

3. Do crafts together. There’s no 

reason why you can’t both participate 

in a craft together virtually. Simple 

things like coloring in a coloring book 

or drawing together can be done 

virtually. As the holidays get closer, 

how about carving pumpkins or making 

holiday decorations? It takes a little 

planning but you’ll both have wonderful 

memories of time spent together. 

congregation. My parents separated 

when I was pretty young. By the time 

I was seven or eight, my mom was 

trying to take care of us by herself, 

often requiring her to work nights and 

weekends. It felt like my grandma was 

there, part of almost every activity. It 

never occurred to me that she was 

helping my mom. In my childish way, 

I just assumed she just wanted to give 

up her free time to take us everywhere. 

Some of the best conversations 

I had with my grandmother were in 

her car on the way to whatever lesson 

or performance I was headed to that 

day. That kind of love and interest in 

me was priceless. Not only did it give 

me confidence, but it also gave me 

a sense of stability. When the phrase 

“latchkey kids” was coined, my sister 

and I weren’t those kids. We had our 

grandma. 

The role of grandparents has 

morphed over the years. Families don’t 

always stay put, and grandparents 

can be too far away to be physically 

involved in daily activities. But for 

those who remain geographically 

close, participating in the afterschool 

activities of grandchildren benefits all 

members of the family. 

My grandma has been gone now 

for about 17 years. But she continues 

to be a part of my daily life because 

of those hours she spent with me, 

shuttling me everywhere I needed 

to be. I hope that my grandkids will 

look back on these days with similar 

warmth and love. 

tricia vlasAK is a mother, 

grandparent, and wife. She works in 

law enforcement when she isn’t writing 

about parenting, hiking with her dogs, 

or going on adventures. 


Happy 

Mother’s 

Day! 

MONTEREY BAY PARENT • april 2021 montereybayparent.com 1 

SPONSORED BY 

may 2021 

RETURNING 

TO “NORMAL” 

The emotional impact 

that going back to school 

is having on kids & parents 

IN THE SWIM 

Where to go for a dip 

+ More summer 

camp ideas 

WHAT THE 

PANDEMIC IS 

REVEALING 

ABOUT THE LOAD 

MOTHERS CARRY 

(Yes, it’s very heavy!) 

Monterey Bay 

PARENT 

Would you like to see your 

children on the cover of 

Monterey Bay Parent? 

It’s time for our annual Cover Kids 

Contest to find some of the cutest kids 

in the area! 

Enter a photo of your child, children, 

or family before September 15. 

A panel including Monterey Bay Parent employees, our 

cover photographers, and representatives of our sponsors 

will choose nine favorites from all of the entries. 

• Each finalist will have a professional photo shoot and 

appear on a cover during the coming year. 

• Each of the nine chosen entries will receive a 

$50 Del Monte Shopping Center gift card. 

• All entrants will receive a children’s ticket 

to MY Museum. 

• All entrants receive a free Kona Ice coupon. 

Thank you to our prize sponsors 

• Solo children, siblings, or a family group 

including parents and/or 

grandparents can all 

be entered. 

• Click on 

QR code 

for complete 

entry info. 


dear teacher by Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts 

This Month: ADHD AND HOMEWORK 

Diagnosing ADHD 

Question: My third grader’s teacher 

recently suggested that my daughter 

has ADHD because she is so inattentive 

in class. I thought that the symptoms 

of ADHD were hyperactive impulsive 

behavior. Could the teacher be right? 

– Unsure 

Answer: Your child’s teacher may 

or may not be right about this. 

There are a number of professionals 

including psychiatrists, psychologists, 

neurologists, school counselors, 

doctors, nurse practitioners and social 

workers who have the expertise to 

make an exact diagnosis. 

The additude.mag website 

describes three presentations of ADHD. 

One is the predominantly hyperactive/ 

impulsive where a child is blurting 

out answers in class. There is also the 

predominantly inattentive in which 

focus and attention are the primary 

symptoms rather than hyperactivity. 

And the third presentation is where 

both inattention and impulsivity go 

hand-in-hand. 

Unfortunately, the signs of 

inattentive ADHD, which is found 

predominantly in girls, is often 

overlooked by parents, teachers and 

medical professionals so they rarely 

get the treatment that they need. Look 

at the signs of inattentive ADHD below 

to begin investigating if your child has 

this type of ADHD. 

The American Psychiatric 

Association’s diagnostic manual for 

ADHD, the DSM-V, lists nine symptoms 

of inattentive ADHD. At least six of 

these must be present and must 

significantly disrupt a child’s life in 

order to merit a diagnosis. They are: 

• Often fails to give close attention 

to details or makes careless 

mistakes in schoolwork. 

• Often has trouble holding 

attention on tasks or activities (e.g., 

easily distracted). 

• Often does not seem to listen 

when spoken to directly. 

• Often does not follow through 

on instructions and fails to finish 

schoolwork or chores. 

• Often has trouble 

organizing tasks and 

activities. 

• Often avoids, 

dislikes, or is 

reluctant to do tasks 

that require mental 

effort over a period of 

time. 

• Often loses things 

necessary for tasks and 

activities (e.g. school 

materials, lunch, mobile 

phone). 

• Is often forgetful in 

daily activities. 

If your child has ADHD, you must 

become an expert on the subject 

to ensure she gets the best possible 

help at school. Fortunately, there are 

several very excellent organizations 

that will help you do this. They are 

Attention Deficit Disorder Association, 

CHADD, National Resource Center 

on ADHD, the Council for Exceptional 

Children and the American Psychiatric 

Association. 

The Value of Homework 

Question: What’s wrong with a lot 

of homework? It gives the children 

a structured activity that is far more 

beneficial than playing video games, 

texting, or watching TV. Parents 

need to reinforce the importance of 

homework; not whine with their kids 

about how much there is. – Teacher 

and Guidance Counselor for 37 years. 

Answer: Hundreds of studies have 

been done on the relationship of 

homework to academic achievement. 

The studies find a correlation between 

homework and achievement; however, 

they do not find that doing homework 

causes achievement. There is no 

unequivocal connection between 

homework and learning. 

What the studies have almost 

universally shown is that in the early 

elementary grades homework does 

not seem to improve test scores, but 

it may help young students develop 

good study habits and learn to be 

responsible. It also can teach them 

that learning does not just take place 

at school. In middle school and high 

school, doing a moderate amount of 

homework can improve performance 

on tests. 

You also need to be aware 

that homework does not just have 

advantages. There are disadvantages. It 

may cause a loss of interest in school 

due to burnout. It definitely impinges 

on leisure time that could be devoted 

to beneficial physical exercise and 

social interaction. 

Studies on homework have 

shown no particular benefit to a heavy 

homework load. In fact, in middle 

school any benefits diminish after 90 

minutes of work, and for high school 

they diminish after 90 minutes to 2 ½ 

hours. Most education organizations 

support our homework rule of 10 

minutes of homework for every grade 

in school. Thus, a fifth grader should 

have no more than 50 minutes of 

homework. 

Parents should send questions 

and comments to dearteacher@ 

dearteacher.com and to learn 

more about helping their children 

succeed in school visit the 

dearteacher website. 


A Whale of a Job 

How whale watching trips 

contribute to needed research 

On all of Monterey Bay Whale Watch’s trips, we research 

the wildlife we see. This includes water and weather 

conditions, species, wildlife behavior, species interactions, 

and identification of various whales. Different animals have 

different identifying marks. For humpback whales, we take 

photos of the underside of their fluke (or tail), which acts 

as their fingerprint. For Risso’s dolphin, we photograph 

the left side of their dorsal fin. We share most of this data 

with a nonprofit group called Cascadia Research Collective 

based in Washington. We have helped them create various 

photo-ID catalogs. We also share our humpback whale 

data with Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to help 

with determining when it is safe for the crab fishery to be 

opened. Our data goes directly to helping decide when there 

are fewer whales in the bay, which decreases the possible 

entanglement rate in crab fishing gear. This past year, we 

helped close the crab fishery early, a BIG win for the whales 

– we often see a few entangled whales every year. 

One of our most significant research partners is 

Happywhale. This program utilizes an algorithm that 

identifies humpback whales by the underside of their flukes. 

Our employees and interns submit images captured on 

our trips to Happywhale, which helps scientists in the area 

keep track of all the different whales. Anyone can submit 

photos – passengers, private boaters, etc. It is an incredible 

network for people to contribute to citizen science. Once 

you submit an image, you will receive an email telling you 

what whales you saw. If you want to look up some of the 

humpback whales we regularly see on our trips, head to the 

Happywhale website and type any of these names in the 

search bar – Fluke Skywalker, Aurora, Ratchet, Snowy Owl, or 

Little Dimple. We see these whales every summer. 

The owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch and a few 

colleagues have recently started a nonprofit group called 

California Killer Whale Project, which is entirely dedicated to 

studying killer whales in the Monterey area and up and down 

the west coast. Stay tuned to learn more about Monterey 

Bay Whale Watch and California Killer Whale Project’s 

research in future articles. 

For more information: 

www.happywhale.com 

www.californiakillerwhaleproject.org 

Colleen Talty, MS is a Marine Biologist and Manager of 

Operations with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. 

Summer & Fall Whale Watching 

Whales and dolphins in their natural habitat 

Fun and educational for the entire family 

Tours led by experienced Biologists 

Following social distancing and CDC guidelines 

Dog friendly 

Trip details and pricing at www.gowhales.com or call 831-375-4658 


The Arts Guide 

Whether you or your 

child is interested in art, 

dance, music, theatre– 

we have an option. 

To find more 

arts-related 

articles and 

resources, use 

this code. 

ART 

Art Studio of Carmel 

DIY Wood Decor workshop for 

adults, private parties. 

30 N. Rangeline Rd, Carmel, 

46032 

boardandbrush.com/monterey 

Board & Brush Monterey 

DIY Wood Decor workshop for 

adults, private parties. 

458 Alvarado Street, 

Monterey, 93940 

boardandbrush.com/monterey 

First Night Monterey 

Summer art camps for children. 

542 Archer Street, 


firstnightmonterey.org 

The Lyceum 

Art classes and workshops for 

children through adults. 

1073 Sixth Street 


lyceum.org 

Monarch Art Studio 

Paint at home ceramics supplies 

for all ages. 

157 Grand Ave Suite 103, 

Pacific Grove, 93950 

ceramicspaintingstudio.com 

Monterey Mini Makers 

Art classes for children. 

4590 Carmel Valley Road 

Carmel, 93923 

montereyminimakers.com 

Monterey Museum of Art 

Summer camps, afterschool art, 

and free family days. 

559 Pacific St, Monterey, 93940 

montereyart.org 

Monterey Parks & Rec 

Currently offering art classes for 

adults. 

546 Dutra Street 


monterey.org 

Ooze Studio 

Art classes for children. 

13766 Center Street, 

Carmel Valley, 93924 

ooze.studio 

Open Ground Studios 

Art classes and workshop for 

teens and adults. 

1230 Fremont Blvd, 

Seaside, 93955 

opengroundstudios.com 

Pacific Grove Art Center 

Art classes, lectures, forums, and 

exhibits for all ages. 

568 Lighthouse Ave 


pgartcenter.org 

Progress Not Perfection 

Paint Parties 

Paint parties, art boxes, camps 

and more. 

125 Central Ave. 


pnppaintparty.com 

The Puppetry Institute 

Bringing imagination to life, 

online or in person. 

1855 41st Ave, 

Capitola, 95010 

thepuppetryinstitute.org 

W 

Saturday art classes for children 

4+ in German. 

221 Grand Avenue, 


wardrobeconsign.com 


2020-21 

Youth Arts Collective 

YAC is a nonprofit, after school 

art studio program for high 

school and college artists. 

472 Calle Principal 


yacstudios.org 

DANCE 

Dance Arts Jeanne Robinson 

Dance classes for ages 3 and up. 

5380 Monterey St., 

Salinas, 93901 

jeannerobinsondancearts.com 

The Dance Center 

Dance classes for all ages 

including ballet, pointe, tap, 

jazz, contemporary, and more. 

Sfterschool and summer 

programs available. Training 

by quality dance educators in 5 

climate controlled studios. 

26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd, B6, 

Carmel 93923 

dancecarmel.com 

Dance Kids of Monterey 

Dance Kids is a non-profit 

group offering performing 

opportunities. 

Northeast corner of Mission and 

Eighth, Carmel, 93921 

dancekids.org 

Golden State Cheer & Dance 

Hip hop dance classes for ages 

4 & up. 

538 Brunken Ave, 


gsecheerndance.com 

NCA Dance 

Hip hop classes for ages 3 and 

older. 

335 Melody Lane 


ncadance.com 

Pacific Arts Complex 

Dance classes for all ages. 

135 Aviation Way, Suite 21 

Watsonville, 95076 

pacificartscomplex.com 

Peninsula Ballet 

Art classes, lectures, forums, and 

exhibits for all ages. 

568 Lighthouse Ave 


pgartcenter.org 

Rockstar Dance Studio 


510 Lighthouse Avenue, 


rockstardancestudio.com 

Salinas School of Dance 


40 W. Gabilan St., 


salinasschoolofdance.com 

Salinas PAL 

Free dance classes for children 

during the summer months. 

100 Howard St 


salinaspal.org 

Spector Dance 


3343 Paul Davis Dr, 

Marina, 93933 

spectordance.org 

MUSIC 

Emma Bartlett Music Studio 

Piano and percussion lessons. 

509 18th St, Pacific Grove, 93950 

emmabartlett.com 

Dennis Murphy School 

of Music 

Private instruction for most 

instruments. 

171 Webster St., 


dennismurphyschool 

ofmusic.com 

Dominic Camany 

Music Academy 

Guitar, bass, piano, and drum 

classes. 

705 Lighthouse Ave, 


dominiccamanymusic.com 

Kurt Heisig Music 

Lessons in a variety of 

instruments. 

512 Polk St, Monterey, 93940 

kurtheisigmusic.com 

Mark Stevens 

Piano lessons for children. 

169 Fountain Ave, 


ms-pianolessons.com 

Monterey Peninsula Academy 

Lessons in a variety of 

instruments. 

546 Hartnell St, Monterey, 93940 

montereymusic.com 

• Beginners through 

advanced 

• Recital opportunities 

• ABRSM exam preparation 

• All ages welcome 

FIRST LESSON FREE 

PLUS 20% DISCOUNT 

FOR EVERY REFERRAL 

REGISTRATION OPEN 

FALL CLASSES BEGIN AUGUST 9TH! 

- HOMESCHOOL / 

CHARTER-APPROVED VENDOR 

- PRIVATE ARTS CLASSES AVAILABLE 

www.dancecarmel.com 

831.625.DANCE 

Family 

y 

Favorites 

F 

✯winner✯ 

Piano 

Lessons 

by Mona 

(831) 200-3762 

monashahnavaz@gmail.com 

1010 Cass St. 

Monterey 93940 

STUDIO OWNERS: 

Tia Brown 

Laura Jeselnick 

ACROBATICS 

HIP HOP 

BALLET /POINTE 

JAZZ + TAP 

CONTEMPORARY 

MUSICAL THEATER 

COMPETITION TEAMS 

LEVELS 2 YRS. - 

ADVANCED 

MONTEREY BAY 

PARENT 

FAMILY FAVORITE 

2019 - 2020! 

2019 - 2020 - 2021 

MONTEREY COUNTY 

WEEKLY: 

BEST DANCE STUDIO 

FIVE-TIME 

MONTEREY HERALD 

READER’S CHOICE 

WINNER 

THREE-TIME 

CARMEL CHAMBER 

AWARD OF 

EXCELLENCE WINNER 

26135 Carmel Rancho Shopping Center Suite B-6 Carmel, CA 93923 

Monterey Bay 

PARENT 


Monterey Symphony 

The Monterey Symphony will 

presents two outdoor pops 

concerts at the Forest Theatre 

in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The 

concert, entitled “Love Letter to 

Carmel,” will include works from 

Back to the Future, Avengers, 

Lion King, Vertigo, Doris Day 

song selections, Clint Eastwood 

movie themes and many more! 

Local singer and actress Malinda 

DeRouen will delight crowds as 

Doris Day, backed up by the full 

Monterey Symphony orchestra. 

These 60-minute performances 

will feature San Francisco based 

conductor Brad Hogarth and 

the Monterey Symphony. The 

concerts are family friendly. 

PO Box 3513, 

Carmel, 93921 

montereysymphony.org/event_ 

love-letter-to-carmel-93.htm 

Monterey Symphony: 

Music to Your Ears 

The Monterey Symphony 

presents Music To YOUR Ears, a 

free open-source virtual music 

education series that combines 

the fun animation style of 

local artist Rory Glass, the 

artistic excellence of the MSO 

musicians, with the high quality 

filming and sound engineering 

of local documentary filmmaker 

Douglas Mueller. The videos are 

narrated by musicologist and 

MSO Assistant Principal horn 

player Dr. Alicia Mastromonaco. 

All 8 episodes can be viewed 

online directly or downloaded 

and shared. Episodes are 

available with both English and 

Spanish closed captions and they 

include three corresponding 

worksheets per episode in both 

English and Spanish. 

PO Box 3513, 

Carmel, 93921 

montereysymphony.org/musicto-your-ears.htm 

Orchestra in the Schools 

Providing students an 

opportunity to learn an 

instrument, be a part of an 

orchestra, and perform. 

2354 Garden Rd, 


orchestraintheschools.com 

Palenke Arts 

Multicultural arts organization 

whose mission is to educate, 

inspire and transform through 

the arts. 

1713 Broadway Ave, 

Seaside, 93955 

palenkearts.com 

Piano Lessons by Mona 

Piano lessons for beginnings 

through advanced. All ages 

welcome. Students are offered 

recital opportunities. ABRSM 

exam prepation available. 

1010 Cass St., Monterey, 93940 

monashahnavaz@gmail.com 

Samz School of Music 

Private music instruction for 

guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, 

and vocal. 

211 Park Row #342, 


samzschoolofmusic.com 

Wise Music 

Private music instruction. 

1430 S. Main St, Salinas, 93908 

wisemusicstore.com 

Youth Music Monterey 

Youth Music Monterey County 

offers in-school teaching and 

performance opportunities. 

Free instruction and string 

instruments for students in 

southern Monterey County. 

546 Hartnell Street, Suite B 


youthmusicmonterey.org 

THEATRE 

ARIEL Theatrical 

ARIEL provides theatre 

education and performance 

opportunities year-round for 

young people. In addition to 

building stage skills, participants 

learn the importance of 

practicing Accountability, 

Respect, Integrity, Excellence 

and Leadership (A-R-I-E-L) both 

on stage and off. ARIEL offers 

after school programs, summer 

day camps, home school classes 

and more. 

320 Main Street, 


arieltheatrical.org 

PacRep’s School 

of Dramatic Arts 

Professional theatre arts training 

to present quality entertainment. 

1 Mountain View & Santa Rita, 

Carmel, 93921 

pacrep.org/soda-school-ofdramatic-arts 

Sol Treasures 

Offers programming in visual, 

music, and performing arts. 

519 Broadway Street 

King City, 93930 

soltreasures.com 



THE ARTS 

Crafty 

Families 

Creating art with their parents offers many benefits for kids 

Parent/child art projects offer children and 

parents many benefits. Even short periods 

of creative time impact social, cognitive, 

and emotional development of children. 

Plus, you’re creating long-lasting memories. 

While it’s certainly good to give your child 

some paper and crayons and let them have 

some creative alone time, it’s also extremely 

beneficial to spend time creating art 

together. You don’t have to think of yourself 

as artistic to spent time in art-making with 

your child, this is just as much of a learning 

experience for the parent as the child. Let 

your inner child out and explore! 

According to art therapist Vicky 

Armstrong who is a postgraduate researcher 

in Psychology “the art making process 

encourages behaviors that build strong 

relationships, such as eye contact, pleasant 

touch, shared goals, responsiveness. You 

may notice during art making that there 

is lots of joint attention – where you both 

look at the same thing together. This helps 

with social skills, such as language and 

perspective taking, and feeling connected.” 

As you’re working together with your 

child, remember that your job as a parent 

is to encourage and reinforce effort rather 

than focus on the outcome. 

How to talk to your child 

about their artwork 

Jennifer Taylor, LCSW, RPT 

offers ARTSY as an alternative 

to outcome-based praise when 

discussing your child’s artwork. 

A: ARRANGEMENT Talk about 

how the picture is arranged on the 

page. “You used the entire paper” 

for instance. 

R: REFLECT BACK Talk about how 

the child feels about the picture. 

Always reflect back their feelings, 

especially if they ask for your 

opinion. “You seem really happy/ 

unhappy with how it turned out.” 

T: THOUGHT Talk about the 

effort that went into the picture. 

“You put a lot of thought into this 

one.” Or, “this one came so easily, 

you didn’t have to think about it 

much.” 

S: SUMMARIZE Summarize the 

picture by talking about what you 

see. Talk about the colors used or 

the way it was produced. 

Y Say YES! Find something 

specific, positive, and authentic to 

comment on. 

It’s clear from research that praising 

children for their effort, not the quality of 

the final product is important. Childhood 

education professionals advise against 

complimenting your child’s artwork with 

phrases like “it’s beautiful” and instead advise 

parents to focus their attention on the 

process of creating the art. 

If you don’t already have a “creativity 

kit” it’s time to put one together. You don’t 

need anything fancy. Get a sturdy plastic 

or cardboard box and fill it with basic art 

supplies like crayons, markers, non-toxic 

paint, paintbrushes, safety scissors, a variety 

of papers, chalk, and white glue. Consider 

adding household items to your kit: common 

items like empty paper towel rolls, cotton 

balls, and paper plates can be used for fun 

projects. Your first project can be decorating 

your creativity box! 

Projects can be simple: using household 

items to stamp paint onto paper, mixing 

colors to make new ones, drawing simple 

shapes. Experiment and have fun together. 

Supporting your child’s creativity and 

spending time together is what’s important. 

Years from now it won’t matter what 

was created, what will make the biggest 

difference is the time you spend together. 


Celebrating 60 Years 

Our partner physicians 

Groovy since 1961 

Reid Giedt, MD Jerrie Lim, MD Christine McCuistion, MD 

and associates 

Tonya Blakemore, MD 

Robert Naimark, MD 

Jennae Lee, MD. 

Centers open in 

Monterey and 

Salinas! 

Please welcome our newest care 

team member, Amy Winter, M.D. 

Dr. Winter was born and raised in 

Monterey. After finishing her 

residency at Helen DeVos Children’s 

Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 

she has started a family of her own 

and returned to serve the families in 

our local community. 

Amy Winter, MD 

Dr. Winter is now accepting 

new patients. 

BIA is in its 27th year! 

OUR MISSION 

BIA’s mission is to significantly improve the lives of 

children diagnosed with Autism by providing innovative 

and individualized treatment. 

BIA is a recognized leader in the community 

providing: 

• 1:1 Intervention Services to Individuals 

18 mos-18 years 

• Center, Home, And Community Based 

Services 

• Social Skills Groups 

All services are available, please call 

for more information about our strict 

COVID safety practices 

and procedures. 

bia4autism.org 

Salinas | Monterey | Fresno | Bay Area 

(877) 242-2884 

All of our physicians provide pediatric 

outpatient care at the office 

and inpatient care at 

Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital 

Call us today to schedule an appointment! 

831-757-8124 

260 San Jose Street, Salinas 

PacificCoastPediatrics.com 


THE ARTS 

Musical families enjoy the 

sweet sounds of success 

BY KEITH TURNER 

Learning to play a musical instrument can improve mathematical, science and 

English scores in children. Read on for some tips on how to integrate music in 

your family’s world. 

We all know that listening to music can 

uplift your mood and bring lightness 

to the day, but did you also know that 

learning to play an instrument can 

make you smarter? 

A recent study by the National 

Association of Music Merchants 

(NAMM) Foundation found that 

learning to play a musical instrument 

can improve mathematical, science 

and English scores in children and can 

even increase SAT scores. In fact, in 

schools where administration officials 

say their music programs are strong, 

graduation rates top 90 percent and 

attendance is over 93 percent. 

In other words, playing an 

instrument helps improve a student’s 

dedication to education and be better 

equipped to handle life’s challenges. 

The question is, with annual 

budget restrictions forcing many 

schools to cut back on music 

education, how does a non-musical 

parent start to integrate music into 

their children’s lives? It begins with the 

basics: make it fun. 

Ted Fong and his wife Marielle, of 

Sacramento, Calif., have five children 

who have grown up not just learning 

to play a variety of musical instruments 

and throughout their growth years 

they also performed at various street 

fairs and private events. In fact, they 

played enough over the years to earn 

enough in tips and stipends to help 

pay for their college education, which 

has so far lead to one graduate and 

two currently attending school. Each 

of their children has continued to be 

involved in music at their respective 

levels of education. 

Ted, a multi-talented jazz 

musician himself, said that he believes 

music helps children in many ways. 

“It’s very important,” he said. 

“Music helps kids develop creativity 

and harness their emotions. More so 

if they’re creating music as opposed 

to just playing music from the printed 

page.” 

He said the key to getting children 

interested in learning to play musical 

instruments is to make it fun and 

creative. 

“I took classical lessons, but 

later found it was more satisfying to 

improvise,” said Ted. “Our kids picked 

up on this, first on the ukulele and then 

with singing. Singing especially helped 

them develop their listening skills and 

their ear. Then they discovered how 

to harmonize and setup a groove with 

ukulele, djembe, and shaker. It became 

enjoyable for them and others. So they 

kept going.” 

Ted recommends a YouTube 

series by Rick Beato about how 

children process music. 

“It’s like a language that they first 

learn before they are two years old. I 

agree with his view that parents should 

play classical, jazz, and other ‘complex’ 

forms of music to their kids in the first 

year of life and afterwards. Their brains 

have the amazing ability to assimilate 

the harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic 

vocabulary very rapidly. 

Leave instruments around the 

house and encourage kids to explore 

them and learn how to sing and play 

what they hear in their heads, said Ted. 

“They should continue to listen 

and appreciate especially classical and 

jazz. Find a music teacher who can 

teach more than reading notes, but 

how to understand and hear what they 

are playing. Take them to live musical 

performances.” 

It’s clear, especially with the Fong 

family, that everyone benefits when 

music is part of a family. 

Who knows, maybe it can help 

pay for college too! 

Keith Turner is a freelance writer 

who is learning to play a musical 

instrument (ukulele) and loving the 

process. He also is a professional 

auto reviewer for families. He can be 

reached at carguy@hotmail.com. 


THE AVENGERS 

PAJAMA GAME 

DORIS DAY AND MORE 

VERTIGO BACK TO THE FUTURE 

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY 

BRAD HOGARTH, GUEST CONDUCTOR 

MALINDA DEROUEN, VOCALIST 

LETTER 

montereysymphony.org 

(831) 646-8511 

TO CARMEL 

an outdoor POPs concert 

OCTOBER 5 & 6, 2021 @7PM 

FOREST THEATER, CARMEL 

presents its first ever open-source free virtual 

music education series, Music To YOUR Ears! 

Explore a variety of musical styles with 

Musicologist & MSO Assistant French Horn 

player Dr. Alicia Mastromonaco. 

VISIT: montereysymphony.org 

INCLUDES: 8 episodes with Spanish 

& English captions. 

COST: Free-of-Change. 

MORE: Download & print 3 

worksheets per episode. 

Avaialble in both Spanish 

and English. 


Dance Like 

No One is 

Watching 

Four reasons why you 

should consider dance 

classes for your child 

Dancing is a great activity for kids of all ages and if your child 

tries one type of class and it isn’t a good fit, the good news is 

there will many other options. 

According to members of NDEO (National Dance 

Education organization) “Dance is a powerful ally for 

developing many of the attributes of a growing child. Dance 

helps children mature physically, emotionally, socially, 

and cognitively. The physical benefits of dance are widely 

accepted, but the emotional, social and cognitive attributes 

have only recently begun to be appreciated.” 

Here are four reasons you should consider enrolling 

your child in dance classes: 

Dancing increases confidence and self esteem. 

1. Confidence comes from doing. Dance classes inspire 

children to try, fail, and then try again. As they set goals, try 

and then master new moves, their feelings of confidence 

will increase. Performing in front of an audience is another 

hurdle for kids and helps them feel stronger and more 

confident. Additionally, when you exercise, you release 

chemicals called endorphins that trigger positive feelings. 

Dance offers a way to express emotions. One of 

2. the best ways to deal with anxiety is through physical 

activity, which releases endorphins. Even well-adjusted 

happy children have times of stress and anxiety. Dancing 

helps them express themselves and work through their 

upset. Plus, time in a dance class helps get their mind off any 

troubles as they move their body and concentrate on the 

dance moves. 

Improved socialization. Classes present an excellent 

3. opportunity for children to build friendships with others. 

This is especially true if your child is shy or reticent in social 

situations. In a typical dance class kids have opportunities to 

communicate and cooperate with the instructor and other 

children. Dance is also an opportunity for children to meet 

others outside of their school or neighborhood–children that 

may be very different from them. 

4. 

Dance contributes to creativity and imagination. 

Early childhood is the best period for the development 

of creativity. Most importantly, learning to dance opens a 

child’s experience to new cultures and music. 

EDUCATING CHILDREN IN MONTEREY COUNTY SINCE 1967 • WE MAKE LEARNING CHILD’S PLAY! 

• Offering Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 

• Open to ages 2-5 

• We work on developing reading readiness, 

introducing number concepts, and creating 

social adjustment using a theme-based 

curriculum 

• Science, language, social studies, and 

nature curriculum 

• Open 7:30 am to 6 pm 

• Call for rates 

Now enrolling 

for 2021-22 

school year. 

831-883-2616 

www.missbarbaras.com 


Back to School Fun night 

at the Monterey Sports Center 

saturday, September 18th 

5 pm - 7 pm 

Celebrate the new school year and join us for our first ever Back to 

School Fun Night! Drop your kids off for 2 hours of fun that includes 

an inflatable obstacle course, arts & crafts, and games! For ages 6 - 9 

years. Snacks and prizes included. Pre-registration required. Sign up 

online at montereysportscenter.org or at the Monterey Sports Center 

front desk with Activity #41332. 

Program is modified and 

follows all CDC 

guidelines for COVID-19. 

Fee: $20 

Monterey Resident Fee: $15 

P E BBLE BE A C H 

G RAD E S 9–1 2 

D A Y & BO ARDIN G 

A SEL E C TIV E SC H O OL F O R COLLE GE-BOUND 

B O ARDIN G AND D A Y S TUDENT S 

WWW. S T E VENSO NSC H OOL.O R G/MB 

C ARMEL 

G RAD E S PRE-K – 8 


Creative 

Products 

We Love 

By Elena Epstein 

Director of the National 

Parenting Product Awards 

We found six fun 

options to spark 

creativity in your 

children! 

For more product reviews 

visit nappaawards.com 

Colorforms® 70th Anniversary Edition 

The classic vinyl repositionable playset provides 

creative, open-ended and imaginative play to 

encourage storytelling. Includes 500 design pieces 

that stick like magic, along with a playboard and 

design guide. $24.99, ages 3+, 

Paint & Create Easel Case 

Portable, dual-sided painting studio 

allowing little artists to create their 

own masterpieces anywhere. Includes 

65+ colorful painting supplies 

protected & organized in the carry 

case. 

$24.99, ages 4+ 

Gershwin’s Magic Key 

A musical story 

introducing children to 

the extraordinary life and 

musical masterpieces 

of George Gershwin. 

Presenting history, drama, music 

and fun designed for the whole family. 

$11.99 

Invitation to Draw 

Offers 99 open-ended drawing 

prompts, each one proposing 

a question to investigate that 

encourages children to free associate 

and problem solve. $19.95, ages 4+, 

3D Glow Spin Art Station 

Capture your little artist’s imagination 

with this unique swirl art machine that 

includes fun 3D-glasses to make your 

painting come to life. 

$24.99, ages 6+, 

Hover your 

phone’s 

camera on 

image to be 

linked to all 

products. 

That’s My Piano, Sir 

Travel through time with 

with a charming mouse 

who loves cheese and 

music and 

learns all about 

Mozart. In 

addition to 

an illustrated 

story and 

introductory 

notes on the 

composer, this album 

features recordings 

of the narrated story. 

$16.95, ages 5+ 


General & Cosmetic Dentistry 

Vista Robles Dental Group 

Offering: 

• Family dentistry 

• Pediatric dentistry 

• Restorative dentistry 

• Cosmetic dentistry 

• Accepting new patients 

• Courtesy insurance billing for 

most dental insurances 

Dentists Linda Martin 

DDS and Esmeralda 

Muñoz DDS, of Vista 

Robles Dental Group 

can give you a healthy 

beautiful smile that you 

can take pride in. 

Modern cosmetic dentistry 

techniques make it easier 

than ever for you to have a 

bright, even smile. 

(831) 372-7548 

www.montereybaydentist.com 

The world changed. Our commitment to our students did not. 

NEW IN 2021 

Palma School now 

includes sixth grade 

Where boys of promise become men of character. 

919 Iverson Street, Salinas | 422.6391 | palmaschool.org 

Palma is a private, Catholic college-preparatory school for boys grades 6 through 12. 


Creative 

Meet four mothers who turned 

their crafty ideas into a business 

Mothers have a way of turning lemons into lemonade! 

These savvy mamas took the losses brought on by the pandemic 

and made something fabulous by starting businesses. by Jennie Blevins 

Teresa Maciel 

Teresa Maciel’s business is “The Sweet 

Flow.” She gave birth to her son, Isaiah, 

in 2018 and was a stay-at-home mom 

for about a year before getting a job in 

data entry. After starting the job on a 

Monday, everything shut down for the 

pandemic, so she was out of work by 

that Friday. She had to develop a way 

to make ends meet, so she started her 

business. 

Maciel sells cupcakes and 

cakesicles, as well as cinnamon rolls 

and Mexican sweet bread. Her love 

of baking began years ago when she 

baked for her family. She says she 

still has a long way to improve her 

business and plans to take classes. 

Maciel also loves art, which helps with 

baking the desserts because people 

“eat with their eyes first.” 

Maciel had to bake late at night 

when she began the business. Now 

that Isaiah has started daycare, she is 

free to bake during the day. 

Sometimes Isaiah bakes with her. 

“It’s really sweet,” she said. “I’ll give him 

a little bowl of flour, and he will play 

around with it. He’ll grab my rolling 

pin. He’ll come up and ask me if the 

goods are for the customer.” 

Maciel’s boyfriend helps her out a 

lot. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes 

stuff that he’ll do. He’ll make sure I’m 

keeping in contact with people and 

meeting deadlines, and if I’m busy and 

Isaiah needs attention, he will give it to 

him. It gives me a lot of time to focus 

on what I’m doing. I could not do it 

without him.” 

Inspiration for the baked goods 

comes to Maciel from a variety of 

sources. From a purse she saw at 

Kohl’s that inspired a painted cakesicle 

design to Instagram–she sometimes 

takes one element and turns it into 

something else. It’s a journey, she says. 

She also participates in pop-up events. 

Maciel has received a lot of 

support from others who have small 

businesses as well. “Everyone you 

meet is in the same boat and has been 

where you’ve been and are willing 

to help each other out and give each 

other support or advice,” she said. “It’s 

humbling and heartwarming to see 

people come together. I’ve met a lot 

of great people doing this. I’ve been 

blessed to get into the community.” 

“We learned how to build web 

pages and make ads. Over time 

we became a close-knit village, 

helping each other through this 

shelter in place and building 

lasting friendships.” 

Belinda Godwin 

Belinda Godwin, the owner of Cakepop 

Cutiez LLC, started her business in 

June 2020 in honor of her daughter’s 

birthday. Belinda has five children and 

is a full-time behavior analyst studying 

for her Ph.D. She makes cake pops, 

chocolate-covered Oreos, chocolatecovered 

marshmallow pops, cake 

balls, and hot cocoa bombs. Her 

daughters Rain, 9, and Loki, 7, inspired 

the business and Zoey, Godwin’s fouryear-old, 

also comes up with ideas for 

the goodies. 

Her daughters contribute to the 

business. “They give suggestions or 

draw things out and then ask, ‘can you 

make this”? Godwin said. Her husband 

delivers the goodies, so the whole 

family is involved. 

Godwin has taken classes and 

plans to take more to improve her 

business. She is constantly learning 

new things and coming up with 

designs for special events such as 

Easter. 

Godwin sells her wares at fairs and 

farmers’ markets and also caters events 

such as baby showers. “It’s really fun,” 

she said. “I love to create new things. If 

someone has an idea to shoot by us, I 

will happily learn how to do something 

for an event.” 


Brighty Norman 

The idea for Brighty Norman’s 

company was a collaboration with 

her husband Kevin. Since she loved 

candles and her husband was “down 

for candles,” they started their Blackowned 

40 Acre Candle and Gift 

Company together in July 2019. She 

and Kevin run the business and make 

candles, wax melts, room sprays, reed 

diffusers, car diffusers, home fragrance 

oils, and incense–all from scratch. 

Norman and Kevin were both tired 

of working full-time at their jobs and 

wanted to find a way to work from 

home and spend time with their threeyear-old 

daughter, Brooklyn. It was a 

blessing in disguise when Norman lost 

her job in March 2020. 

Working from home makes it 

easy for Norman and Kevin to run 

their business and raise Brooklyn. 

Sometimes Norman will hang out with 

Brooklyn while Kevin works and vice 

versa. They both wake up early in the 

morning to start their day and work 

their schedules around Brooklyn. 

“Our company wouldn’t be where 

it is today if I wasn’t home,” she said. 

Kevin, who was working part-time for 

40 acres, quit his job recently to help 

full time with the business. Kerri’s Co- 

Op Chicks sells their tin candles. They 

sell at farmer’s markets and fairs. Their 

products are also sold at stores in 

Salinas like Luxury Spa, Aqua Blue, and 

the Salinas antique mall. 

Norman’s love of candles was 

inherited from her mother, a “hippie 

chick” who loved candles. Norman 

started collecting candles while 

growing up and had a whole shelf of 

them by the time she was 14. “She 

would tell me how to trim the wick 

and clean the candles and make sure 

they were blown out at night. I would 

burn a candle while cleaning my room 

and watch Law and Order,” she said. 

Norman says that homemade 

candles are unique and quite different 

than store-bought candles. At least 

three days of work go into a carefully 

crafted homemade candle. 

“We pour one day; the next, we’re 

touching up any sinkholes or fixing 

rough surfaces, like a wick that might 

have floated from the center,” Norman 

said. “After we do that, we let them sit 

for another night or so. We label them 

and clean up the outside of the tins. 

We fine-tune and go over every single 

detail. That’s what you’re paying for.” 

Anna Munoz 

Entrepreneur Anna Munoz works fulltime 

as a teacher and has an 8-yearold 

“handicapable” son. She has been 

selling and concocting delicious 

jam for years based on recipes from 

her family’s farm. She added jewelry 

making during the pandemic. 

“In March of 2020, teachers went 

home due to high Covid rates to 

teach remotely,” she said. “I was home 

teaching and with my special boy for 

long hours. He likes shiny things like 

beads, so we started a jewelry business 

during shelter in place.” For the jam, 

Munoz added to her family’s recipes by 

creating new jams, syrups, and other 

products during Covid. She sells her 

jewelry, hair accessories, and the jam 

at farmers’ markets and festivals. 

“Covid hit all of us moms extra 

hard,” Munoz said. “Our sweet children 

were home with us 24/7, which meant 

extra mouths to feed during the day. 

Many moms decided to be creative 

and sell at friends’ houses, local popups 

and post their items online. We 

bonded over learning how to use 

social media to promote a product. 

We shared many long hours knitting, 

sewing, design, and posting all of our 

products. All while watching our kids 

do online school and make products 

to sell. We were now full-time 

businesswoman, home cooks, and 

teachers all at once. It’s been a great 

sharing of resources and creativity to 

ensure all the kids were well taken care 

of. They say, “out of frustration comes 

innovation.” 

Munoz feels the same way as 

Maciel about the community of 

entrepreneurs. “This community that 

sells together is stronger than ever; we 

are determined to do whatever it takes 

to raise our babies and be creative. We 

love selling our homemade goods to 

the public. Many of us learned how 

to get a commercial cottage kitchen 

license . We learned how to build web 

pages and make ads. Over time we 

became a close-knit village, helping 

each other through this shelter in 

place and building lasting friendships. 

We will be resilient and overcome this 

together, bonding over creativity and 

great joy in crafting. We also share a 

love for great food, and we watched 

our favorite friends start a food 

vending business as well. Your families 

and locals are invited to our pop-ups 

for great family fun and food!” 

Support our “Mompreneurs” 

Teresa Maciel is on Instagram 

at thesweetflowbakery 

Belinda Godwin is on Instagram 

at cakepopcutiezllc 

Brighty Norman is on Instagram 

at 40acrecandleandgiftco 

Anna Munoz is on Instagram 

at munoz6619 

Jennie Blevins, a freelance journalist, 

grew up in Monterey, California. She has 

a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism from 

California State University, Chico and a 

Master’s in magazine journalism from 

New York University. Some of her articles 

can be found at www.muckrack.com/ 

jennie-tezak. Jennie can be contacted at 

tezakjennie35@gmail.com. 


OUT & ABOUT Our top picks for SEPTEMBER 

9/3 Monterey County Fair 2021 

The Monterey County Fair is 

coming back and runs through 

Sept. 6. Entertainment, exhibits, 

fair food, and more. 

montereycountyfair.com 

9/12 Touch a Truck 2021 

A day of fun for kids and kids 

at heart to climb and explore 

their favorite trucks and other 

vehicles. For the past 6 years, 

this event has included more 

than 50 vehicles, food trucks, 

raffles, music, and more. 

Children and adults can clamber 

into a fire engine, explore a 

bulldozer, and climb behind 

the wheel of a big rig. They 

can learn about CPR, build a 

toy vehicle, and enjoy carnival 

games all while enjoying tasty 

treats. $5 each or $20/family. 

coastalkidshomecare.org 

9/16 Santa Cruz Mah: Festival of Light, 

Sound, and Digital Culture 

Extending over 4-nights, explore 

downtown Santa Cruz as local 

and visiting artists illuminate 

the Santa Cruz Museum of Art 

& History, neighboring parks, 

plazas, and riverfront areas with 

interactive installations, live 

performances, and immersive 

experiences. Follow the 

luminescent glow as artists 

highlight some of the most 

iconic structures and spaces in 

downtown Santa Cruz. Runs 

through Sept. 19. While all 

outdoor installations can be 

visited at no cost, there is a small 

entrance fee to the MAH, where 

some indoor artworks and 

programs are hosted. 

santacruzmah.org 

Find more fun events for your 

family at MontereyBayParent. 

com/Calendar. 

Just hover your phone’s camera on 

image, no special app required. 

9/18 Back to School Fun Night 

Celebrate the new school year! 

Drop the kids off for 2 hours of 

fun that includes an inflatable 

obstacle course, arts & crafts, 

and games. For ages 6-9 years 

old. Snacks and prizes included. 

Pre-registration required. $15 

for Monterey residents, $20 for 

others. Program will follow CDC 

guidelines. 

montereysportscenter.org 

9/19 FREE! Kiddie Kapers Parade 

Thousands of people line the 

streets of the Salinas City Center 

to watch over 1,200 children ride 

on floats, bikes, in wagons and 

more as a kick off to Big Week 

and the California Rodeo Salinas. 

Kids can participate in 8 different 

divisions and the theme is Ready 

to Rodeo. Get all the information 

you need at www.carodeo.com. 

The parade is free and no preregistration 

is required. 

www.carodeo.com 

Serendipity Pre-School LLC 

We open the eyes and hearts of children to the wonder and discovery of learning. 

Family 

y 

Favorites 

F 

✯Finalist✯ 

Monterey Bay 

PARENT 

2020-21 

• A quality educational program for children 

ages 3 to 5 

• Full and part-time preschool & Pre-K classes 

• Serving Peninsula families since 1981 

1231 Seventh Street, Monterey, 93940 

www.serendipitypreschoolllc.com 

831-375-9743 



Because not all great minds 

think alike 

Chartwell School 

Located on 60-acre campus just minutes from Monterey Bay, Chartwell School is an 

independent day school for students Grades 1-12 who think and learn differently. 

3:1 student 

teacher ratio 

Class sizes less 

than 10 students 

Visit our website at www.chartwell.org 

100% college 

acceptance rate 

2511 Numa Watson Rd. 

Seaside, CA 

93955 

Call (831)394-3468 or email Danielle 

Patterson at dpatterson@chartwell.org

September 2021

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