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A local math teacher left for a trip to New York City, where he received a prestigious teaching award. Matt Engle, who teaches at Monterey Bay Academy, has received the 2017 Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching. Engle earned the $25,000 award for his lesson, titled “Bringing Similarity Into Light: Experiencing Similarity and Dilations Using Shadows.” The lesson examines the shadows of shapes to explore concepts such as ratio, dilation, and proportionality in triangles.

People pour into the Seascape Golf Club on Feb. 21 for the 33rd annual Business Showcase put on by the Aptos and Capitola-Soquel Chambers of Commerce. More than 80 local businesses set up shop to showcase their wares and services to the public.

Community Bridges, which provides dozens of services for children, adults and seniors throughout Santa Cruz County, is moving to Watsonville. The 41-year-old organization runs family resource centers, nutrition programs and programs for seniors such as Elderday and Meals on Wheels. But it does so from its Aptos headquarters. Meanwhile, La Manzana Community Resources is centered in Watsonville, offering parenting education, health insurance enrollment assistance and literacy programs. Also at that location is the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), which offers services for pregnant and nursing women and infants.

A wrecking crew tears down the former Marie Callender's restaurant at the Capitola Mall on Feb. 22 to clear the path for a new Olive Garden restaurant. Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine, according to its website. The chain restaurant has more than 800 locations world-wide. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

For many, the process of 3D printing is still akin to magic. Witnessing a digital design take shape in a physical form through a 3D printer, creating everything from architectural models to human prosthetics, seems like a miracle — until you actually understand the science behind it. Since Jan. 20, a sizable collection of 3D printers, along with laser and vinyl cutters, routers, soldering stations and more are now available to Cabrillo College students, faculty and the community at the school’s new Makerspace center.

Income planning. Qualifying on a home loan is a little trickier than you might think. Let me "esplain" (I grew up watching "I Love Lucy"). Let’s say you’ve been at your job for 20 years and you’re still renting your co-worker's garage. Let’s further say that your company has been asking you to work overtime and double time and you have politely declined the offer over the past few years, hey! Not having to work so much is the benefit of living in a garage. But then the unthinkable happens. You get a serious girlfriend who refuses to be sweet on you inside of a garage. You start working all the overtime and double time and even triple time (this could be a local policeman) that you can get your hands on. This is where the sins of the past come to haunt you. The bank will only count overtime if you worked it for two years continually, it doesn’t matter that it's always been there for you. Thinking you can afford more in the moment is an easy pitfall to fall into, I can help you avoid such an embarrassment by letting you know what you actually qualify for and not what you figured you did.

If you have lived in this county for any amount of time, you may have noticed Ledyard trucks delivering food and restaurant supplies. I did not make the connection between the two names until I received a book for the Aptos History Museum entitled, "Aptos was Idyllic," written by Dr. David Glass. It is the story of his childhood, growing up in Ledyard Acres in the middle of the last century. It is a wonderful little book.

Photo by LIFE photographer Tarmo Hannula These men enjoy a visit to Rio del Mar State Beach Thursday during a king tide. Meteorologist Scott Rowe of the National Weather Service Monterey said there is also a chance of some coastal flooding with a chance of rain Thursday evening and into next week. Rowe said beach visitors should be cautious as they get near the shore.

County businesses, civic, community leaders and activists gathered for a luncheon on Nov. 2 at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos to launch the annual campaign.

In June 2016, the Santa Cruz Playground Project embarked on a two-year capital campaign to raise nearly $2 million for an inclusive playground. Named LEO’s Haven, the playground, designed in a way so a child with a disability can play side-by-side with their friends, will be built at Chanticleer Park in Live Oak.