HAUTE SHOPS
COOL EATS
SIZZLING
SUMMER READS
GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL MEDIA
PLUS, LEARN HOW TO: FIND THE BEST TIDEPOOLS, EMBRACE CHANGE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR TEENS IN CRISIS
As I write this, I’m wishing away the June gloom (and the month of May gray we experienced before that) and envisioning clear, warm, blissfully sunny summer days. Here’s hoping they find you as soon as — or sooner than — this issue of Tableau Magazine hits your inbox!
Inside this edition of our beautiful virtual magazine, you’ll find an enjoyably eclectic range of stories brought to you by our talented team of writers:
• Your guide to tide pooling — where to find and experience the most teeming, scenic tide pools this summer and beyond
• The importance of local journalism — you’ll meet some of the incredible journalists who work hard to bring you the news, day in and day out
• What’s new on the home front — an update on the latest home decor and design store openings in OC
• A sizzling summer read — by a beloved local author and editor
• How to embrace change — our life coach columnist helps you navigate transition
Thanks for reading! We hope you’ll share your favorite stories with a friend or two. Happy summer to you from the Tableau Magazine family!
With gratitude,
Carrie Freitascarrie@kitchentablepr.com
@tableauofficial
@tableauoc
Bridget Belden
Bridget Belden is Founder and CEO of Magenta Consulting, a coaching organization providing world class tools to empower women to discover who they are beyond being a mom. After Bridget’s own struggles to find fulfillment as a mom with young kids, she started Magenta Consulting to help others on the same journey. She lives in Orange County with her husband of 30 years, Charlie and their dog Max. She loves travelling, spending time with friends and family, and will rarely pass up the opportunity for a good meal and a nice bottle of wine.
Anissa Brown
Anissa is a freelance writer based in Southern California. She recently completed grad school and has written journalistic pieces for various publications and companies such as Starbucks and Disney. She is also experienced in social media, marketing and consumer insights.
Sara Hall
Sara has nearly 14 years of experience at several daily and weekly newspapers, including The Record Searchlight in Redding, The Daily Advocate in Greenville, Ohio, the Newport Beach Independent, and most recently at Stu News Newport and Stu News Laguna. Her work has included photography, writing, design and layout. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and pets.
Allison Hata
Allison Hata is a freelance writer and editor based in Southern California. She lives and breathes OC, covering food, style, design and culture around town for over a decade. A former editor for Newport Beach Magazine, Allison is passionate about telling stories that capture the fascinating people and places that shape her community. Her work has appeared locally in Modern Luxury, Pelican Hill Magazine, Design OC and more.
Amy Senk
Amy is a CDM resident and a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. She has worked at the Kansas City Times, Kansas City Star, Contra Costa Times, Coast Kids and Coast Magazines, and is a regular contributor to StuNews Newport. A recent empty nester, she spends her free time with her husband and planning elaborate imaginary vacations.
AKA The Kitchen Table Marketing Team
Carrie Freitas, Editor-in-Chief + Publisher
Miki Akil
Simone Brown
Kristen Cagatao
Madelyn Sutherland
Lee Vujnovich
Who doesn’t love a good beach book to relax with on a beautiful summer day? Look no further than “An American Rich Girl,” a fictional work from local author Bruce Cook. A writer his entire life, Bruce began his career under the bright lights of network television. He got his start in the mid-’70s, going on to become a founding producer of “Entertainment Tonight.” A few years later came “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” followed by the “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers” for the newly formed Fox television network.
Bruce began writing “An American Rich Girl” at a turning point in his life as he underwent dialysis, pre-kidney transplant. The novel was published last year, following the release of his Hollywood mystery novel “Fame Farm,” and tells the coming-of-age story of a privileged millennial from Beverly Hills. Following a devastating college heartbreak, Kate Fairchild runs to Newport Beach and accidentally kickstarts her career in the world of fashion design — which turns into another chance at love. Since no one likes a cliffhanger, you can purchase a copy through online retailers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Photos courtesy of Bruce Cook, Brickhouse Interiors, and FONBAS
For one Orange County family, interior design is in their genes. Creative director Bryant Putnam, his mother Natalie Putnam and aunt Kayla De St. Jean combined their talents in real estate, interior design and home staging to create Brickhouse Interiors. Located in Costa Mesa, this home design store offers a curated selection of furniture, accessories and home decor items that blend contemporary and vintage styles. The sisters (who are identical twins!) have staged over 700 homes, and if you’re a home decor enthusiast, you may recognize them from hit reality TV shows like “Flip or Flop.” After deciding to take some time away from the television spotlight, they focused on interior design and Brickhouse Interiors was born. In addition to the retail store, the company offers a range of design services, including space planning, furniture layout, kitchen cabinetry and more. “We believe that everyone deserves a beautiful home," Kayla says. “Our motto is to create spaces that are comfortable and inviting." brickhouseusa.com | IG: @shopbrickhouseinteriors
The Friends of Newport Beach Animal Shelter (FONBAS) is changing the landscape of the city, one adoption at a time. Led by a dedicated group of former mayors and community leaders, FONBAS was formed in 2017 as a nonprofit to supplement the funding of special medical procedures, equipment and services for animals under city care. Early on, FONBAS entered a public-private “paw”-nership with the city of Newport Beach, raising funds through memberships and capital campaigns to acquire land and construct a state-of-the-art animal shelter. The years-long partnership paid off this year with the opening of the shelter in June 2023. “This is a huge win for the city, residents and most importantly from the animals,” says FONBAS board member and city council member Robyn Grant. fonbas.org
You’ll find more than just your average cup of joe at Juliette’s Cafe & Coffee Culture. Co-owner John Hughes describes it as a “third-wave coffee shop with food on steroids.” John and his wife Juliette Hyun-Sook Chong are the masterminds behind this new coffee lounge, and this isn’t their first rodeo. The former owners of the Filling Station in Orange and Juliette Kitchen & Bar in Newport Beach have been in the industry for over 20 years, with Juliette receiving praise from locals and publications including the Los Angeles Times for her delicious baked goods. She’ll be at the helm of the baking room at the new Newport Beach cafe, overseeing all the pastries and items baked in-house. Once Juliette’s Cafe & Coffee Culture opens in June, expect classic breakfast favorites such pancakes and bacon as well as unique twists on traditional dishes, plus brunch sips including limited beer, mimosas, cocktails, soju, bloody marys and margaritas. For lunch, you can enjoy fresh sandwiches, charcuterie, homemade potato chips, granola salads and soups. Coffee connoisseurs will also be thrilled to know that all coffee is roasted in-house. juliettesccc.com | IG: @juliettesccc
Everyone has their own unique personal style — shouldn’t their personal space reflect that as well? Trouvaille Imports, a new female-owned home decor company in Newport Beach, thinks you shouldn’t have to go on an international excursion to find oneof-a-kind pieces to decorate your home. Its name means “a lucky find,” a found treasure, something stumbled upon by chance. The sentiment is reflected in its charming showroom, which features curated items inspired by owner Audrey Elo’s love and passion for travel and cultures, and her adoration for beautiful spaces, old decor and architecture. Stop by to find antique and vintage wares, along with handmade items and pottery created by artisans from all over the world. trouvailleinteriors.co | IG: @trouvailleimports
Photos courtesy of Juliette’s Cafe & Coffee Culture, Trouvaille Imports, Coco Republic and Purple
Costa Mesa’s favorite design destination is making a splash this summer with four showroom openings that will help transform every corner of your home. SOCO + the OC Mix recently welcomed a new Purple showroom, where sleep-seekers can try out cutting-edge mattress technology and shop an array of accessories that will send them off to dreamland. If you’re squared away in the bedroom but need to customize your kitchen, save the date for the opening of Reform. With a commitment to craftsmanship, quality and environmental responsibility, Reform offers a glimpse into the future of modern kitchens — sustainable and totally customizable. The new SOCO showroom is a space to check out materials in-person and work with consultants to bring ideas to life. For indoor-outdoor living spaces, Coco Republic is a new go-to with an exquisite selection of high-end furniture and decor. Now open, the Orange County flagship of the Australian brand features luxury home goods that embrace both continents’ love of incorporating nature into the home. Lastly, Visual Comfort will help
light up any space, no matter your style. There’s an artistry to lighting design, and at the soon-toopen showroom you can discover how to balance functionality and aesthetic to elevate any room. And what’s a beautiful home without the perfect finishing touch? Hadley & Ren Floral Co., another new arrival at The OC Mix that opened last year, specializes in dried arrangements with creative designs and a DIY dried floral bar. socoandtheocmix.com |
IG: @socoandtheocmix
Just launched in May 2023, The Scout Guide Newport Beach is your entertaining cheat sheet — a website and hard copy coffee table book for jet-setting visitors and locals alike who want to discover the best places to shop, eat and sightsee around town. Launched in 2010, The Scout Guide began in Charlottesville, Virginia, but now comprises more than 3,000 small business owners, artists, artisans, dreamers, doers and makers. At the helm of The Scout Guide Newport Beach — the first in California — is Catherine Lowe, a third-generation female entrepreneur born and raised in Newport Beach. “Social media is important, but it can at times be fleeting and always not as impactful,” she says. “However, there is so much permanence in power and print. A picture is worth 1,000 words. People love to experience and look at the beautiful photography.” From homemade candles to hotels, The Scout Guide Newport Beach offers an alternative to clickbait internet searches. You can pick up the first volume at more than a dozen local hot spots such as A Market, Lido Marina Village, Mama Bijoux and more. newportbeach.thescoutguide.com | IG: @tsgnewportbeach
Finding the perfect gift is a struggle we’ve faced for centuries. Enter Blue Atlas Marketplace, created by friends turned family turned business partners Susan Bush and Liz Canady. Married to cousins, they are truly sisters at heart. By blending their collective knowledge of fashion and home design established at companies such as St. John and Martha Stewart, the women built a highly curated online storefront with the unique purpose of finding the perfect gifts and pieces that accent your life. They came up with the concept and launched a website in spring 2020. With very few stores open, the pair found themselves in high demand — not just among people looking for gifts for a special occasion, but also for those seeking to share a simple token of love at a time when so many things were uncertain. This June, Liz and Susan are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their brick-and-mortar store on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. And when it comes to finding the perfect graduation gift, birthday gift or everything in between, they have one piece of advice: “It’s not what you spend, it’s what you give and the effort you take to finding something special and unique for that person.” blueatlasmarketplace.com | IG: @blueatlasmarketplace
Jessica Hubbard has been a middle school teacher. A law school graduate. An intern in the public defender’s office. A higher education compliance officer. Now, she’s CEO of a 45-year-old nonprofit in Orange County, Calif.
But if you ask about how that unconventional path brought her to the new leadership role at Casa Youth Shelter, don’t expect to hear stories about grit and hard work right off the bat (though there is plenty of that). Instead, she’ll tell you about a moment in a school cafeteria. And that yes — there is a reason to cry over spilled milk.
“I had a student with cerebral palsy who I taught in my last year before I decided to leave education and this kid was so brilliant; so, so smart. Unfortunately, she was in a wheelchair and she often got mislabeled and placed in improper classes,” Jessica remembers. “I had her after the lunch period and every single day, she’d … have chocolate milk spilled on her pants. I didn’t want to embarrass her, but finally I pulled her aside.”
Turns out, there was no way for that student to lift her lunch tray up to the counter. Muscle spasms would knock her off balance, sending that milk straight into her lap. It lit a fire under Jessica, who was infuriated at the lack of support for special education students at her Florida middle school.
“If you remember middle school at all, you remember just how much you want to blend in,” she says. “The last thing you want is to be embarrassed, humiliated, called out.
“And so I pitched a fit,” she continues. “I made sure she had aid available, but I was like, someone else should be doing this. It shouldn’t be her middle school English teacher.”
That moment and this student, who Jessica still keeps in touch with today, inspired her first career pivot into special education law.
In talking about her former students, Jessica lights up. She speaks faster and more freely, her passion, pride and enthusiasm infectious. Asking about her legal career doesn’t elicit quite the same response. While she thrived in law school, even representing
defendants as a student, there was a certain disconnect. Despite the sheer volume of clients coming through the public defender’s office — hundreds each day — she never really saw that she was making a dent in the system. It felt like a BandAid, a short-term fix that didn’t set people up for a lifetime of success.
“I had this really high bar set for myself,” she says. “I knew what passion for my work felt like, and nothing was hitting that.”
So after finishing her degree, she applied her legal background to higher education compliance work. It was, in a word, “boring.”
“I was missing the impact,” she says. “But a position opened up at Girls Inc. of Orange County for the director of programs … and I was like, oh yeah, this is it. This is what love feels like. This is magic.”
She followed that magic all the way up to the nonprofit’s C-suite, where she still got to work directly with students on a regular basis as the chief programs officer. But when an opportunity at Casa Youth Shelter came along, it was her turn to live the Girls Inc. mission of being “strong, smart and bold” and make her biggest career leap yet.
Though Casa Youth Shelter is the only organization providing emergency temporary shelter for kids between Culver City and Huntington Beach, it offers so much more than just housing. As the new CEO, appointed in January 2023, Jessica wants to spread the word about the “more” — specifically its counseling and other therapeutic support services for adolescents in crisis.
“Shelter is in our name, and it’s so easy to think that’s all we do,” she says. “The re-education that I'm doing is that we're not designed to solve the housing insecurity issue. Our mission is to support kids in crisis.”
Kids in crisis come to Casa Youth Shelter from all walks of life. Sometimes they’re referred by the police department or social services for a few days before moving to a more permanent placement with a family member. Others are left by their parents, for any number of reasons, and may stay up to the three months that Casa Youth Shelter is licensed to care for them. In those cases, partnerships with other organizations ensure every child can be placed in safe and stable housing on a more long-term basis. But the ultimate goal, for all parties involved, is parentchild reunification.
Equipped to support kids ages 12 to 17 in a short-term emergency, Casa Youth Shelter focuses on helping them build positive pathways of communication to share their experiences. That includes everything from individual and group therapy to family counseling conducted under the supervision of a fully licensed clinical director. In addition, expressive therapy is offered to help them navigate the healing process, which could look like ukulele classes, sound baths, drum circles or knitting.
The nonprofit also partners with the Los Alamitos School District to provide mental health services, collaborating with counselors to create a larger care system and team that can serve all students in need.
“Not every kid is going to need shelter, … but you're going to be really hard-pressed to find kids that aren't going to benefit from mental health services and counseling and therapy,” says Jessica. “[I] know that as an educator, as a mother, as an expert in youth development.”
She also speaks from personal experience. Growing up, Jessica was a youth in crisis, living in poverty as she endured abuse and neglect in her childhood home.
“I could have been a Casa kid. I wish I would have been a Casa kid,” she says. “I was the kind of kid that really slid under the radar because I was always clean enough and fed. I was a straight-A student, so I didn’t look the way that people thought a crisis youth looked.”
The weight of that trauma and abuse could break her. But instead, it just fuels her desire to make a difference for all kids — for those whose upbringing looked like hers, for those who ran away from home because they couldn’t take another minute of abuse, and those who were thrown out of their home. She’s hooked on making an impact, and her diverse experiences empower her to think big.
Though it’s still early days, she has hopes of expanding beyond the organization’s current 12 licensed beds and begin supporting transitional-age youth ages 18 to 24 so they’re set up to thrive as full-fledged adults. As for her long-term vision as CEO, Jessica has a bold goal: to grow Casa Youth Shelter’s free mental health services across Orange and Los Angeles counties to ensure no child slips through the cracks and ends up in need of short-term emergency care.
“I would be in every school if I could,” she says. “Is that wild?”
To learn more about Casa Youth Shelter and provide support, such as volunteering in the kitchen, stocking the pantry or donating, visit casayouthshelter.org
LOCAL JOURNALISTS COVERING LOCAL NEWS
By Amy Senk
Debt ceilings and Harry and Meghan’s latest antics may dominate headlines and airwaves. But what about that crime scene van parked at the neighbor’s house or the black smoke filling the sky with ash?
Enter local journalists, who cover local news one story at a time and provide the information that often is what matters to us most. We talked to some of our favorite Orange County reporters and editors, finding out what drew them to the field and compels them to continue hunting down and reporting the news.
It’s about the biggest no-no in Southern California, but back in her college days, Michele Gile broke the cardinal rule and transferred from UCLA to crosstown rival USC to obtain her journalism degree.
That degree launched her career as a cub reporter in Palm Springs, where she shot all her own video wearing garden gloves so she wouldn’t burn her hands on the equipment in the 117-degree Palm Springs summers. She covered a few car crashes and fires, but most of her time was spent on features, not breaking news — think snowbirds who played cards and did arts and crafts at the senior center.
Then, a news director vacationing in the desert caught her on TV and offered her a job in Santa Barbara. Leaving the heat thrilled her — but taking on the job of bureau chief seemed overwhelming and nearly impossible.
"It sounded like a job for a seasoned journalist," she says. "And I was still in my 20s."
When the deadly Painted Cave Fire erupted in 1990, burning 5,000 acres and destroying hundreds of buildings, Michele’s coverage became part of the reel that she sent to other stations throughout the country who were looking to hire reporters.
“That story is what got me hired at CNN,” she says. “I was at the L.A. bureau on the weekends as a
freelancer, filling in, and at the same time, I took the job as a freelancer at KCAL News. Some weeks, I worked seven days.”
KCAL didn’t have an Orange County reporter, and Michele lived at the time in Costa Mesa, so she agreed to take that job.
Sometimes, she says, her work is heartbreaking, like her coverage of the kidnapping and murder of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion, who was snatched from her Stanton front yard.
“I am a mom of two daughters, and my eldest daughter was the same age as Samantha when she was taken,” Michele says. “That story crushed me. I would go home and sob.... I’ve covered many other terrible crimes, but that one stands out.”
As a general assignment reporter, Michele has covered everything from court cases and the Angels to city halls and the board of supervisors.
"And weather,” she says. “Weather always makes amazing news, and we have so much weird weather here in Orange County."
Making sure she always has her go-bag with her is crucial so she can quickly change out of a dress and heels — typical work attire — and put on rubber boots and weather gear, or fire gear and masks, all issued by the station.
Last year’s Coastal Fire, which destroyed 20 homes in Laguna Niguel, is one of Michele’s biggest stories and could soon be nominated for a local Emmy.
“I was actually close by, covering another story, and I looked in my rearview mirror and saw this smoke and thought, ‘What’s going on here?’ We raced over there and spent hours, on live TV, covering that.”
Michele says that being a part of the community that she covers has been critical to her success. When not at work, she’s been an active PTA volunteer at her daughters’ school. She’s moderated political forums and the Newport Beach Mayor’s Dinner and was the grand marshal of last year’s Newport Beach Boat Parade.
“People used to say to me, ‘When are you going to become an anchor? When are you going to New York?’” she says. “I don’t want any of those things. I’m so happy where I am. I like covering my community. We need boots on the ground, locally. We’ve got so much happening here.”
Growing up, Tom Johnson always dreamed of becoming a superstar sports broadcaster.
“When I was young, I was a huge sports fanatic — the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Raiders,” he says. “I was sports editor of the high school newspaper, and I went off to college with a focus on radio and TV news because I wanted to be the next Howard Cosell.”
He took first job at a little Indio radio station where, among other tasks, he had a nightly, 10-minute sports show.
“That’s when I realized I had a terrible voice on the air and decided to go into the business side,” Tom says.
He moved to advertising and sales at a bigger station, then jumped to print and was a manager at the San Francisco Business Journal. He once tried to quit, but a Scripps-Howard president in Houston promoted him to publisher so he’d stay. Eventually, after a merger, he moved to Southern California to breathe life into the Daily Pilot as an associate publisher.
“That was in 1991,” he says. Within a few years, he became publisher, then general manager of all the community newspapers.
Tom’s tenure at the Pilot included the birth of the Pilot Cup, an annual soccer tournament that has since rebranded. The idea came from Costa Mesa attorney Kirk McIntosh, who approached Tom and the Pilot’s then-editor, William Lobdell, to suggest a community tournament.
“We sat down and put this thing together,” Tom says. “We got all the schools involved in Newport-Mesa. By year two, we had every kid in town for two weeks of the year wearing a Pilot Cup T-shirt, advertising us. It was huge. And we wrote up all the stories. It was the time of the year just before graduation time. High school sports had stopped. It was in one of those lulls. We could take our sports people and focus them on the Pilot Cup, and the kids got publicity.”
During Tom’s tenure, they also organized a women’s golf championship tournament called the Jones Cup, and his team created The Daily Pilot 103, which was a listing of the top 103 influential community members. The community loved it, lining up for extra copies that required higher press runs.
Tom’s Daily Pilot era ended when a higher-up at the Los Angeles Times told him to lay off two people.
“I went home, and it just haunted me because I thought it was the wrong thing to do,” Tom says. He asked if they would save the two jobs if he agreed to a buyout, and he walked away.
Tom, who was named Newport Beach Citizen of the Year in 2011, eventually launched Stu News because he was growing increasingly concerned about dwindling state of local news. He writes columns twice a week, which had never before been a big part of his job, and he tries to put a bit of his personality in each one. He doesn’t shy away from unpleasant topics or political hot potatoes, always striving to be fair.
“I always want to make sure we follow the four principles of community journalism: community watchdog, reservoir of information, community forum, and the last one — that so many people used to give me a hard time about — is community cheerleader,” he says. “Anything I do, I try to follow those principles.”
Photos courtesy of Tom Johnson and Samantha GowenSamantha Gowen graduated with a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and immediately took a job — as a Domino’s delivery driver while she worked up the nerve “to interview important people and do it well.”
“Journalism is very, very heavy in its responsibility to truth and facts,” she says. “I was not ready, at 22, to be that person.”
A year later, she was off and running, first as a copy editor at a small North Carolina coastal paper where she would grab a notebook and dash out to cover a story when the bareboned staff required it. She moved around the Mid-Atlantic, working at different papers in various jobs, including tech advisor when a delivery of Apple computers was left in the rain on a loading dock (she figured out how to get them installed and working in the newsroom).
Ultimately, Samantha ended up at the Orange County Register at a time when the newsroom was the size of a football field, with as many as 500 reporters.
“I could not see from one end of the newsroom to the other,” she says. “We all look back on it now with a bit
of wonderment and sadness. We grew and then we shrunk and now we’ve shrunk some more.”
She had worked a few months as a copy editor when her bosses began to lend her to other departments to help with page design, editing and technical issues.
“I’ve probably had 14 jobs at the Register,” she says. “Copy editor to page designer to iPad producer to pets and welfare editor to pets and welfare reporter to car culture reporter, and then I went back to copy desk [and] page design, then I did sports page design. I can’t remember all the jobs now.”
As business editor for the Southern California News Group, which acquired the Register in 2016, Samantha manages a team of four, coordinating and editing assignments and editing wire stories.
Currently, her team focuses on real estate and jobs stories, mostly because data shows that readers care the most about those topics.
“I end up filling in and writing occasionally on certain things because I refuse to let things fall in the cracks, and I know what readers want to read about,” she says. “I need to get the news out there. It kills us to think we miss something simply because we don’t have anyone to write it.”
From covering stories about California’s stimulus checks during Covid to writing about the launch of the first Dutch Bros. coffee shop in Orange County this May, Samantha has a sense of what stories readers will click on and share — and the analytics that followed built on her already solid track record. Her recent stories about the state’s Middle Class Tax Refund, which is an inflation relief payment, were especially well received.
“Readers appreciated and thanked me for repeatedly for these stories,” she says. “They wanted to know where their money was, and every week I let them know how they could track the payment or use the debit card that eventually came in the mail.”
Knowing what local readers need from their local paper is a daily priority, she says.
“We’re trying very hard to find those stories that matter to people locally,” she says. “It’s critical for journalists to understand their communities and to have clarity in their storytelling.”
Christopher Trela grew up in a writing family with a mother in the public relations business. He entered college as a film major but ultimately fell into a journalism-public relations hybrid career while his love of writing grew.
“I accidentally [connected] with somebody who had a weekly magazine newspaper, and I was writing stuff for him for free,” he says. “I really liked it and won a couple of awards and realized, ‘Oh wow, I’m good at writing.’”
Eventually, he wrote for the Daily Pilot and OC Metro and Coast magazines.
“I was actually making a living as a writer but still was doing PR,” he says. “I was director of public relations and communications for the Pacific Symphony, where I was doing a lot of writing. I had these simultaneous careers.”
Then a journalist friend said he was starting a new weekly newspaper — the Newport Beach Independent — and asked Christopher to contribute.
“I’d been writing about the arts for years, but I’d also become interested in food and wine,” he says. With
that, a food column was launched at the paper known locally as the Indy.
A few years later, the Indy editor departed, and Christopher took the reins. But during the pandemic lockdown, everyone was furloughed and the paper stopped its print runs.
“I volunteered to keep the website going,” he says. “It was going to be important more than ever. The community needed to know what was going on.”
When restaurants’ dining rooms closed and they turned to take-out only, Christopher updated the newspaper’s website almost daily to include openings and deals.
“They appreciated that because they were trying to stay afloat,” he says. “It was the early days of Covid when I realized how important we were... Our website traffic doubled and tripled.
Today, Christopher’s simultaneous careers also include writing the dining column for the Orange County Business Journal, which he’s done for about five years, along with teaching public relations and media relations as a full-time Chapman University professor.
“I love everything I do,” he says. But his passion is writing stories that have deep connections to the community. One of his favorites stories was in his early days as the Indy editor, when the widow of an organ donor had the chance to travel to Hoag Hospital to hear her husband’s heartbeat in the organ recipient’s chest.
As a weekly paper, the Indy isn’t as much of a breaking-news publication as one lets the community know about events and opportunities, particularly involving charitable organizations.
“I like covering charities,” Christopher says. “It’s important for people to know not just the charities but all the people behind them, and not just to give but to get involved.”
Christopher says that he and a few freelancers handle all the news, a lingering result of the staff furloughs. But as long as the community needs local news and information, he’s committed to providing it.
“I feel it’s important,” he says. “And until I don’t feel it’s important, I will keep doing it.”
Photos courtesy of Christopher Trela and Matt Szabo 20 Matt Szabo Staff Reporter, Daily PilotMatt Szabo is a SoCal native who was always good at writing and always was into sports, the Dodgers and Lakers included.
“I thought it was a natural fit to be a sportswriter,” he says. “I went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo because I had family in the area, and I like the Central Coast. I picked journalism and I kind of went with it.”
After graduation, he lived in Modesto and covered sports for a small local paper, then was hired at the Daily Pilot in 2006, when he was part of a sports staff of about six people.
“Over the past few years, the staff has shrunk,” he says. “When Covid hit, it was crazy. There were no sports going on, so we had to cover news. Covering sports remains a passion, but covering hard news was a reality that has probably made me a better reporter.”
The five reporters on staff were each assigned a city, and Matt volunteered to cover Huntington Beach, where he lived at the time.
“Huntington Beach is a challenge for a couple different reasons,” he says. “There’s always stuff going on. And the city council is always in the news. I have to stay on my toes.”
One of the most important community stories Matt has covered in his career, he says, was the 2021 oil spill, when nearly 25,000 gallons gushed from an underwater pipeline.
“That was a crazy time,” he says. “That was community journalism. I’m hanging out on the ground, at the beach, waiting for press conferences to pop up and for the governor. We were collaborating as a team to get a mix of politicians’ reactions and business owners’ and regular people. That was the most breaking-news moment that I’ve had, and a lot of my focus was how to localize it more.”
These days, Matt covers city politics, which he says has helped him develop a thicker skin. He covers a few high school games each week and also writes features that gain traction in the community, like his story earlier this year about Corona del Mar High School graduate Brooke Kenerson, who goes by the sobriquet “The Platelet Princess.” Matt decided to write this feature after hearing about Brooke’s cancer from her sister on social media. Of course, he remembered Brooke and her family from her Corona del Mar High School tennis days.
The Daily Pilot’s sport coverage has always been something special, something that really set them apart, Matt says. It also provided some of his favorite career memories, like covering Madeline Musselman, a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
“I met her when she was 12 and she was a sixth grader at Andersen Elementary in the Pilot Cup,” he says. “She was a goalie. I remember the game I covered; she had to leave right after to go to her swim practice. And that turned into, ‘I’m a swimmer now,’ and then, ‘I play water polo.’
"I’ve known her at this point for half her life, and she’s already been in two Olympics and is gearing up for her next," Matt continues. "She’s literally one of the best water polo players in the world. And I have that personal connection with her.”
Summer in Orange County is synonymous with relaxing beach days. Miles of sandy shorelines and epic waves entice swimmers, surfers, bodyboarders and sun worshippers. For beachgoers wanting a peek at what goes on beneath the water’s surface, tide pooling is a unique way to experience the coast and find an abundance of marine life, from colorful sea slugs to sea anemones. It’s the perfect adventure for families that’s both fun and educational.
Photos courtesy of Sara Hall
Where the sea meets the sand is called the intertidal zone. At the water’s edge, rocky formations create shallow, isolated pockets that get filled with seawater at high tide and create unique ecosystems with a variety of sea life.
Alternating between dry and wet worlds as the tide recedes, the animals that call the salty crevices home adapt to the changing conditions to keep the balance in their sensitive environment. They play an important part in the food chain both on land and in the water.
Orange County tide pools are home to a diverse ecosystem of marine life. Nestled in the rocks, visitors will find purple sea urchins, sea anemones and a variety of starfish (common discoveries include brittle stars, ochre star and bat stars). Hermit crabs can be spotted scuttling about while black turban snails, periwinkle snails and wavy turban snails will likely be stuck in place. Attached to the rocks, eagle-eyed explorers will see gooseneck barnacles, California mussels, and acorn barnacles.
If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a small California two-spot octopus, identified by circular blue eyespots on each side of its head).
Some of the more interesting tide pool residents are California brown sea hares (a large sea slug that looks like a reddish-brown spotted blob with tentacle-like extensions on its head), giant keyhole limpets (an oversized nearly 5-inch aquatic snail with
a cone-shaped shell with a hole on the top), or some interesting looking nudibranchs (colorful sea slugs with exposed gills), such as Hopkin’s rose (striking pink color with a spray of soft tentacle-like gills all over its inch-long body) or the Spanish shawl (bright purple with a streak of orange tentacle-like gills on its back).
In terms of plant life, look for giant kelp, rockweed and surfgrass.
The rocks can be slippery, so sturdy shoes with good grip are suggested. As the rocks and barnacles can be sharp, bare feet are not recommended.
Before heading out, check the tides somewhere like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. If you go at the wrong time, the shallow pools could be completely submerged. And if you stay too long, you might find yourself stuck and in a precarious situation. There are two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes, usually in the early morning and the evening, although it varies throughout the year.
Tide pools are best viewed at low tide. Arrive at least an hour before low tide to ensure you have plenty of time to explore while the tide is receding. A word of caution: Orange County Coastkeeper warns visitors that king tides can easily entrap beachgoers who are exploring the tide pools along the coast.
To learn more about tide pools and the coastal environment, consider a guided tour such as the Ocean Institute’s two-hour low-tide hike in Dana Point. The hike heads into the rocky marine protected area located directly behind the institute. Tickets for this special experience are $15 per person and space is very limited.
At Crystal Cove State Park, naturalists also lead scheduled guided tide pool and beach walks. Local experts will help identify animals and describe their awesome adaptations. There may be some rock scrambling, so wear sturdy shoes. There is a $20 day use fee for the park.
A few general rules for outdoor activities: Don’t forget the sunblock, stay hydrated and watch the weather.
Leave it as you found it. Collecting sea creatures, rocks and shells is prohibited. Respect the marine life by observing them — never touching or taking them. Tide pools are sensitive habitats and even seemingly innocent human interaction, such as turning over a rock, can significantly disturb the animals who call the small space home. It could expose delicate sea life to the harsh sun or that rock could roll around when the tide comes in and smash the creatures.
It helps to remember that tide pools are these animals’ homes. You should also watch where you walk, as many rocks are covered with plants and/or animals. One wrong step could crush them.
And, of course, pack out any trash you have and dispose of any litter you find cluttering up the coast. The goal should be to clean up the beach and leave it better than you found it.
Located at the corner of Poppy Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, just down the street from the sandy shores of Corona Del Mar State Beach, Little Corona is a rocky cove at the bottom of a hill. Featuring a paved path down to the sand, it’s one of the few beaches in Newport Beach that doesn’t require climbing stairs. There’s easy access to the tide pools that border both sides of the beach, with larger rocks that create partial caves on the north end of the cove. A small, sandy beach allows families to stretch out and enjoy. Flanked by rocky reefs, the beach is well protected from swells and surf, so the waves are usually gentle enough for kids to safely wade. There is free street parking, but it fills up quickly on summer weekends. Public restrooms and showers (open in summer months) are located along the path halfway down the hill.
Situated below the community of Cameo Shores in Corona del Mar is a hidden beach only accessible to the public at low tide. Getting to this stretch of sand requires a trek along a rocky shoreline from Little Corona, since direct access from the cliffs above is only open to Cameo Shores residents. The slightly challenging access requires sturdy shoes, but determined explorers will pass Arch Rock (a great bird watching spot) on the way to the beach and tide pools. Parking and amenities are available at Little Corona.
Conditions vary on a daily basis at this tide pooling oasis between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. There is no telling what organisms you might discover at the different beaches, including Reef Point, Rocky Bight, Pelican Point and the north end of Treasure Cove. But always be gentle while exploring and don’t pick up, move or place the organisms into buckets. “Tide pools are a magical miniature world brimming with life and all the organisms that call it home really struggle in this fragile ecosystem, so when you visit a tide pool remember that you are exploring somebody else’s home and be respectful steward,” says state park interpreter Winter Bonnin. The park has a $15 day-use fee, with public restrooms at each parking lot or just off the nearby trail.
Located at intersection of Cliff Drive and Fairview Street in Laguna Beach, this hidden stretch is a local favorite for tide pooling. Rocky formations on both ends of the cove offer lots of opportunities for exploring, although the north end has deeper pools and typically more marine life. Free street parking is available in the residential neighborhood, but it can be hard to find a spot in summer. There is also metered parking along Coast Highway. Head down a staircase directly opposite of Fairview Street to reach the sand and tide pools. It’s a well-protected cove, so it’s a good option for families with small children — but keep in mind there are no public restrooms.
Next to Montage Laguna Beach resort, where Wesley Drive meets Coast Highway, a paved path near the south end of a grassy park will take you all the way down to a beach with a few options for tide pools. From the main path, if you turn seaward at the first route down to the sand of Treasure Island Beach, you’ll find large rock outcroppings to your right and a long stretch of sand to your left. Down a steep staircase that takes you to Goff Cove, you’ll see rock formations on both sides (a scramble to the left takes you to the hidden Middle Man Cove). Or just a bit further on the main path you can find a long ramp down to Christmas Cove. The beach is wellmaintained with clean facilities, including restrooms at the park up on the bluff. There’s a small paid parking garage by the park, metered street spaces and a small paid public lot off Wesley Drive.
Victoria Beach is one of Laguna’s most famous locations thanks to the iconic “Pirate Tower” (and the power of social media). There’s also a man-made concrete pool on the beach next to the tower. You can park in the residential neighborhood or nearby streets for free, if you can find a spot, or find metered parking on Coast Highway. Public access is a narrow and steep staircase off Victoria Drive or a paved ramp at the corner of Wards Terrace and Dumond Drive. Once you reach the sand, you’ll see the rock formations with small pockets of tide pools to your right. Climb over the rocks to reach Victoria Beach and the famous tower. The waves can be rough, though; take precautions if you enter the water. There are no public restrooms, so plan accordingly.
The shape of this beach clearly explains how the small bay got its name. Bordered by rocky points on both ends and a stretch of sand in between, this is a great spot in Laguna for tide pool lovers who want to make it a beach day. There is powerful surf here, which makes this beach very popular with body boarders. Grab free parking in the neighborhood or metered parking on Coast Highway. You can find the pedestrian entrance — a paved road only accessible by authorized vehicles — at Cliff Drive and Barranca Street that leads down to the sand. You’ll discover the tide pools with deep channels on the south end that are easily accessible at low tide. This is also one of the few beaches with tide pools that has restrooms at sand level.
Although there aren’t actually 1,000 steps, this Laguna Beach spot isn’t for the faint of heart with an actual count of 218 steps down to the sand. There’s free and metered street parking, including some limited spaced along Coast Highway. The beach’s namesake staircase is located off Coast Highway directly across from Ninth Avenue. While this large beach has more sand than tide pools, the pockets you’ll find on the south end of the beach are deep and diverse. Farther south, you’ll find a sea cave worth exploring if it’s low tide.
True to its name, this beach has an abundance of rock formations — and tide pools — along the water’s edge. To get to Rockpile Beach, head to Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, which stretches along the top of the bluffs overlooking the coast. There is metered street parking (and restrooms) by the park up on the bluff. A staircase in the middle of the park leads down to the beach, where you’ll see a wide expanse of rock and tide pools to explore. The rocks are very slippery here, so wear shoes with good grip and step cautiously. This spot is also popular with experienced surfers, but swimming is not allowed due to the strong surf. From Rockpile, if you head south along the shoreline you’ll run into the city’s famous Main Beach. Head north along rocks and sand to find Picnic Cove and Diver’s Cove, both popular for their namesake activities — they’re also great spots for tide pool lovers. Just be sure to carefully watch the tide, as it can rise quickly over the rocks and block your access back to Rockpile.
Dana Strand Beach is great for tide pool exploration. Start at Strand Vista Park, which overlooks the beach from the bluffs above and offers free parking in a lot off Selva Road. Take the stairs through the park and cross the residential streets to another staircase on Strand Beach Drive — it’s a workout with all those steps, but worth the expansive beach view when you reach the sand. For the best Dana Point tide pools at Strand Beach, turn left and head to the South Strand Conservation Park. The beach also features a cable car funicular (open between Memorial Day and Labor Day) that transports both gear and passengers between the north end of the parking lot to the north end of Strand Beach.
The rock-covered beach below the cliffs of the Dana Point Headlands features plenty of tide pools available to discover at low tide. There are several parking areas (and restrooms) around the Ocean Institute, but they fill up quickly on weekends. To get to the tide pools, go down the stairs past the institute through a metal mesh tunnel. You’ll see the rock jetty to your left and the rocky beach to your right. Walking on the rocks is uneven and unsteady, so step cautiously as you explore. “At low tide only, guests can join an expert naturalist for a quick, moderate walk to the rocky marine conservation area, complete with mysterious caves and beautiful views,” shares a representative from Visit Dana Point. Paid admission to the Ocean Institute also offers an up-close-and-personal interaction with local ocean life through its intertidal touch tank, along with other informative exhibits.
This mile-long beach may be small, but it offers a lot as a popular swimming, body boarding and surfing location. Sitting between two cliffs, the stretch of sand leads to a rocky shoreline at the north end that is home to tide pools. A large paid parking lot along Pacific Coast Highway and a paved path will get you to the beach, with a large, grassy park along the way. At the sand, turn right to head to the tide pools. There are public restrooms near the parking lot, a summer snack bar and the main lifeguard tower.
Photos courtesy of Jim Gilloon and Sven Piper
“Peace is accepting that everything changes. When we stop clinging to how things are, we can let go and embrace what’s growing in front of us. Doing this shifts our mindset from one that’s scared of change to one that’s energized by the excitement of future potential.” —Cory
AllenAs a 57-year-old mom of two, I have lived through my fair share of seasons both literally and figuratively. Like many people around my age, I’ve gone from college to career to marriage to mom.
Somehow when you are on your own trajectory as a young person, each season is a welcome one that typically is recognized as another rung in the ladder, helping you ascend to the life you’ve dreamed of.
Then as your focus shifts to your family, each stage of parenthood holds its own celebrations and heartbreak. Starting with the development and growth of your baby and all the various stages they go through: birth, sitting up, eating solid foods, walking, heading off to preschool. Each stage and their transition through it bring a new set of emotions — the passing of one chapter into the next — fraught with excitement, anxiety and cautious optimism about what lies ahead.
While riding that wave when they’re younger can feel scary, it is reassuring to know that they are still dependent upon you for getting them to school, teaching them the ways of life, and struggling through their homework. You always know that they are coming back home where you can continue to guide and teach them. And, well, let’s face it — keep tabs on them. But something happens when they graduate from high school and begin the part of the journey without
you. It’s summer, and some of you may be in the process of dropping your kids at college or sending them off on their own. All you really have is the hope and trust that all those years prior — in which you poured your love, advice and discipline into them — provided them a toolbox of sorts that they will call upon as they navigate their own adult path.
And then it happens. You find yourself at the beginning of a brand-new season. One that shifts the focus back to you. And all the choices you’ve made to date, from where you chose to live to the partner you selected to join you on this journey, all come under renewed scrutiny. Suddenly, with the absence of this other being to focus on, it all comes down to you.
This stage of life is rife with transition. Your emptying nest. Divorce. Career changes. The loss of your parents and in-laws. Retirement. For many people, this is a tumultuous time. And if you were the primary caregiver of your children? It can be terrifying as well.
But here’s the thing. Transition, like the seasons, is inevitable. The good news? You have a choice. You can choose to be overwhelmed and terrified or you can focus on the positive. You can look at this time as an adventure. As a time to trust all the wisdom you have accumulated over the past 20 years to guide you into your next chapter. One step at a time.
I realize that this may sound easier said than done, but how you weather it all depends upon your ability to roll with it with a sense of humor, self-compassion and a whole lot of patience. Yes, it takes practice, but considering the alternative is to curl up into a ball and hope it blows over, it’s more than worth it.
Here are a few tips to help you build resilience while you are navigating your new path.
• Embrace change: Recognize that change is a natural part of life and that midlife transitions offer opportunities for personal growth and selfdiscovery. Embrace new experiences and be open to exploring different paths.
• Foster self-awareness: Take time for self-reflection and develop a deeper understanding of your values, strengths and priorities. This self-awareness will help you navigate transitions in alignment with your authentic self.
• Cultivate supportive relationships: Surround yourself with a strong support network of friends, family or mentors who can provide guidance, empathy and encouragement during challenging times. Lean on them for support and maintain open lines of communication.
• Practice self-care and compassion: Prioritize your physical, emotional and mental well-being and treat yourself with compassion. Engage in activities that promote relaxation, stress reduction and overall wellness. Make time for exercise, adequate sleep, healthy eating and activities that bring you joy.
• Develop problem-solving skills: Enhance your problem-solving abilities by breaking challenges into manageable steps, seeking creative solutions and learning from setbacks. Approach obstacles as opportunities for growth and find ways to overcome them.
• Foster flexibility and adaptability: Cultivate a mindset of flexibility and adaptability to navigate unexpected changes. Be willing to adjust plans, reevaluate goals and embrace new opportunities that may arise during midlife transitions.
• Maintain a positive outlook: Focus on the positive aspects of your life and the potential for growth and new beginnings. Practice gratitude and optimism, seeking opportunities for personal and professional development. Instead of asking, “why is this happening to me?”, ask “why is this happening for me?”
• Seek professional support: If needed, consider seeking guidance from therapists, coaches or career counselors who specialize in midlife transitions. They can provide valuable insights, strategies and tools to support your journey.
Remember, building resiliency is a lifelong process. It takes time, practice and self-compassion. By cultivating resiliency during midlife transitions, you can embrace the changes, overcome challenges and discover new opportunities for personal fulfillment and growth in this transformative phase of life.
Who knows? It could end up being your most exciting chapter yet!
Hawaiian Cottage and Areca Palms, 2021
Joli Beal
Oil on Board, Framed
Based in Del Mar, California, Joli Beal is a plein air artist that has been participating in plein air invitationals and winning awards for over two decades. Beal can often be found on the rocky cliffs by the sea, deep in the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada Range, or painting by the beach in Hawaii. Enquire at Kennedy Contemporary by emailing info@kennedycontemporary.com