F UP FRONT
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Free Fallin’ I’ve never been skydiving. Something about falling through the air, hurtling towards the ground at full-speed, sounds both exciting and scary-as-heck at the same time. Anyone who’s been skydiving talks about the heart-pumping adrenaline rush of free falling through the sky, and then the complete calm once you pull the parachute cord and are able to enjoy the breathtaking views of San Joaquin from high up in the air. I haven’t made the decision yet if I’ll ever skydive (I’m getting too old for this stuff!), but the skydivers at Acampo’s Parachute Center were more than happy to invite us out to their site, to see what really goes into a skydiving experience. Check out our story “Taking the Leap: 13,000 Feet Above San Joaquin” on page 38 to see what the real skydivers are made of. On another note, summer is winding down and we’re sad to see it go, but it’s time again for our kids to get their number two pencils, pick out their folders and binders, and head off to school. In our Back to School issue, we’ve noticed a new trend in our kids’ schools: the addition of an environmentally-friendly education. Everywhere we look, the “green” movement is making waves, so why wouldn’t it trickle down to our kids’ education? Find out the ways in which our kids are learning to recycle, spare the air, and grow their own gardens, among other “green” trends (“The Greening of our Schools,” page 32). Be sure to also check out our favorite Back to School items (page 28). Most importantly, enjoy these last days of summer with your family. Stay up late, eat as much ice cream as possible, spend too much time in the pool, and let the kids run through the sprinklers any time they’d like. Just remember, you’re going to miss summer when it’s gone!
“I want to fly like an eagle, To the sea Fly like an eagle, Let my spirit carry me I want to fly like an eagle, Till I’m free —The Steve Miller Band
Tony Zoccoli Publisher, San Joaquin magazine
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san joaquin magazine
AUGUST 2010