Empowered through training: Jaleesa Peluso and Laguna Beach Dojo
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
With deft precision, Jaleesa Peluso juggles many roles – wife, mother, Laguna Beach community leader, entrepreneur and REALTOR®. A Certified International Property Specialist, she has been recognized for her professional accomplishments, including Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Leading Edge Society Award.
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Master Jeff Kash and Senpai Jaleesa Peluso co-hosted a one-day self-defense class for women at Laguna Beach Dojo
Beyond her professional life, Peluso is actively involved in the Laguna Beach community and served as co-president of the Laguna Beach Parents Club in 2024. Originally from the Netherlands, Peluso is now a firmly rooted Laguna resident.
Recently, Peluso assumed a new role – Senpai, which is a Japanese word meaning “senior” or “upperclassman.”
Realizing there was a real local need for well-rounded self-defense and prevention education for women, Senpai Jaleesa Peluso and Master Jeff Kash of Laguna Beach Dojo adapted the existing program into a one-day crash course.
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Master Kash and Senpai Peluso demonstrate that it’s all about knowing how to twist and move
“I co-hosted the class alongside Master Kash, who has been teaching self-defense for more than 20 years,” she said. The two of them came up with the idea of a one-day women’s intensive after hearing story after story from local women who had recently found themselves in uncomfortable situations – while dating, or simply out running errands – along with sobering statistics on assaults against college-aged women.
Senpai Peluso’s own training started for a very practical reason.
“I’m a real estate agent, and this job puts you in vulnerable positions more often than people realize,” she said. “You meet strangers alone at empty properties – you literally put signs out telling strangers where to find you, then sit in a vacant house and wait. After a few ‘sketchy’ situations that set off my instincts, I decided I never wanted to feel unprepared or put myself in that kind of vulnerable position again.”
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Students practicing punches
Her two kids were already training at Laguna Beach Dojo, so Peluso knew firsthand what a special place it is. “I’d been watching their classes – somewhat enviously – when Master Kash encouraged me to just step onto the mat and join one myself. I never looked back. I still can’t quite believe I’m a brown belt and assistant instructor today.”
However, the training brought even more benefits than she anticipated.
“I was stronger than I gave myself credit for, and I learned that most of self-defense happens before anything physical ever occurs,” Peluso said. “I walked in thinking I’d learn how to fight my way out of a bad situation. What I learned is how to recognize and avoid one in the first place. The goal is not to win the fight; it’s to avoid the fight entirely.”
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Folklore Studio brings handmade stories to the heart of Laguna Beach
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Founded by Kelly Dye, Folklore Studio showcases works by independent artists and makers whose creations reflect authenticity and a deep appreciation for the handmade. Through Folklore, Dye has built a welcoming space where every piece tells a story, inviting visitors to discover the people, traditions and inspiration behind the art.
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Folklore owner Kelly Dye is a curator and designer born and raised in Northern California. She currently splits her time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Laguna Beach, where her studio opened in 2023
“I’m a conceptual curator – I love aesthetics, but I also want to go that layer deeper into imagination, histories and mythos. Folklore also speaks to things that are old and passed through generations. I’m drawn to traditional artistic mediums.” Dye said.
The name Folklore stems from her love of stories and visual storytelling. “The shows I curate and artists I represent are stories I want to tell. My roster disproportionately leans towards textile artists and earth pigment painters. I love craft. I love natural clays, dyes and colors. I love art practices that feel ancient and reverent,” she said.
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Dye believes that when guests drink her tea, they become more present. From this more grounded place, the art comes alive, and viewers engage with the art in a way that’s deeper and more personal.
One of the arts she practices in her studio is serving tea to her guests.
It’s an element, among many, that separates Folklore Studio from other galleries. “I started serving aged Chinese ceremonial tea to guests at the gallery about two years ago. I discovered tea ceremony and started meditating with tea regularly a little over three years ago and in that time, I’ve been lucky to learn from some wonderful teachers.”
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The studio has a meditative atmosphere
Dye opened the flagship Folklore in Santa Fe in 2019, bringing a perspective rooted in creative exploration, spiritual practice and global travels. She studied Feng Shui, sustainable design, textile arts, fashion marketing and visual communication and holds an AAS from Parsons the New School for Design and a BA from Furman University.
She chose Laguna for her next studio for love of the sea. “I like to say the ocean called me! I operate very intuitively,” she said. “I knew I wanted to open a second location of my business – ideally on a coast and near community. I also felt a kinship and deep alignment with Laguna Beach’s history, culture and appreciation for the arts.”
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A locally recognized figure in architectural macrame and fine art, Jim Olarte’s work appears in Folklore Studio
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Travel beneath the surface with Laguna free diver Paul Markovits
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Wearing only an open cell free diving wetsuit, mask, snorkel (all from Riffe international), long carbon-fiber free diving fins and a weight belt, free diver Paul Markovits immerses himself in another world –relying on only one breath until resurfacing.
Documenting his dives in Laguna’s Marine Sanctuary with either The GoPro, DJI action 6 or Ace Pro 2, Markovits creates stunning underwater reels/videos with musical scores.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Paul Markovits near the ocean he loves
Free diving is a rare and niche activity, practiced by a small percentage of water enthusiasts. Markovits’ enthusiasm for the water began early.
“I’ve always loved swimming and seeing how far I could swim in the pool without a breath, and I’ve always loved the ocean. When I came to Laguna Beach, I snorkeled and loved diving and swimming underwater,” he said.
Then he started identifying the fish he saw and watched videos on YouTube to see what others have seen here.
“I got the gear and eventually took a PADI free diving certification class,” he said.
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Courtesy of Paul Markovits
Markovits during a free dive
How does he prepare for a dive?
“I eat very little, stretch and do some breathing exercises. I start with a lot of shallow dives and gradually work my way to the kelp beds in deeper water. I take at least two to three minutes between dives.
To Markovits, it’s a form of meditation. “Free diving resets everything for me. You have to be very calm and still to preserve oxygen. It’s literally ‘immersion in another world.’ There is so much to see on clear day in the sea. What I realized about myself is how much I like the quiet retreat from the world. And the solitude. It’s a total escape.”
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Paul Markovits near the ocean he loves
Markovits, a 10-year Laguna resident, fell in love with Laguna Beach. “It’s the most beautiful coast of Southern California. There’s a love of and appreciation of the natural world, and a desire to conserve it. The sea life is rich and diverse. There are beautiful reefs and kelp forests and much of it is actually found in shallow water and accessible. I love the ocean culture. All the surfers, paddleboarders, skim boarders, snorkelers, divers, swimmers and waders. People just love the ocean, and I love that.”
Although Markovits free dives when he travels, what he likes about diving locally is that, “I can go frequently, get to know the environment and work on my photography. I can see the results and go back the next day and work on that shot.”
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Searching for sea life above the surface
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Bart Zandbergen explores the meaning of true wealth
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
For more than three decades, financial planner Bart A. Zandbergen has helped clients build and preserve their wealth. In his new book, True Wealth Defined: The 8 Pillars to Discovering Life’s Riches, the founder and CEO of The Zandbergen Group shares lessons learned far beyond balance sheets. A respected Certified Financial Planner®, Zandbergen challenges conventional measures of success, arguing that true wealth is found not only in financial security, but also in purpose, relationships, health and personal fulfillment.
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The spark of Bart Zandbergen’s debut book goes back 18 years with his creation of the eight pillars to discovering life’s riches
“Eighteen years ago, I started developing the pillars of true wealth and thought that someday it would be a great book, but I just used it in my practice and tried to adhere to it in my own life,” Zandbergen said. Then one morning about two years ago he woke up at 2 a.m. with one of those “aha” moments, promising himself that he was finally going to do it. Now, with the launch of his book, his vision came to fruition.
A 20-year resident of Laguna, Zandbergen was born in San Diego and raised in Anaheim. He lives here with his wife, Tina, and 10-year-old daughter, Tehani. He also has two grown children (daughter, Nicole and son, Christian), two granddaughters, Lily and Wilder and a grandson, Oliver. In addition to spending time with his family, he’s a fitness enthusiast and has a passion for fine wine and dining. He’s a member of Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an exclusive wine and food organization, and is a Certified Sommelier. Zandbergen completed his sommelier training through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust of England and enjoys traveling to various vineyards in Central California.
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As outlined in the book, the eight pillars are: health, family & friends, faith, service to others, legacy, peace, the invisibles and finance
Although Zandbergen has been in the business for more than 30 years, when he attended college, financial planning wasn’t on his radar.
“I was a business major and became a computer programmer out of college,” he said. “I did that for three years and realized it didn’t feel right. I wasn’t enjoying it and thought, ‘well, I’m pretty good at computers’ so I got into computer system sales and did that for a few years.”
Zandbergen was so successful that he needed a financial advisor. “Right around age 30 I had all the definitions of success, I owned a home, had two kids and a good job with benefits, but I wasn’t fulfilled.” At one point, his financial advisor explained that what he did (as an advisor) changed lives, and Zandbergen decided to go to work for him (though he waited a year). Again, he woke in the middle of the night with an epiphany – he was going to it.
However, success didn’t happen overnight – he kept his day job, took night classes and got his securities and insurance license. “In the early ‘90s, I went to work (making phone calls) at my financial advisor’s firm and that’s where I stayed for 25 years.”
When he opened his office in Laguna in 2020, he and his wife were trying to stay in town and found the perfect location.
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In 2020, Zandbergen opened his office, impeccably designed by his wife, Tina
Throughout those years, his definition of success changed. “When
I first got in the business; success was about money and how much money you could earn and how much you could save,” he said. “But I saw that even my wealthiest clients weren’t always happy – they were having issues, saw therapists and weren’t fulfilled. That got me thinking about what makes someone happy.” He realized there are things beyond money that make someone wealthy and the concept of the eight pillars was born.
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The Laguna Beach Historical Society keeps Laguna’s past alive
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Nestled in the heart of town, the Murphy-Smith Bungalow – headquarters of the Laguna Beach Historical Society – has quietly watched a century of history unfold around it.
It’s an urban legend (or is it?) that bootleg liquor was stored in the cellar during prohibition. “It was used to store illegal contraband – the bootleggers would come up on Main Beach in the middle of the night,” said Tamara Campbell, president of the Laguna Beach Historical Society. “They would then deposit their booty in the cellar at the bungalow for their customers to pick up.”
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The Murphy-Smith Bungalow has just undergone a renovation. The Historical Society was established in 1991.
Built in 1923 for Vernon Murphy and later sold to Evaline “Lottie” Clapp, with the final owner being Blanche Clapp Smith (Evaline’s daughter) the cottage reflects the modest scale and architectural character of Laguna’s early homes. Over the decades, it survived periods of rapid development that transformed much of the town, and it became a rare reminder of the community’s origins.
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President of the Historical Society Tamara Campbell is a wealth of information on both the bungalow and the Historical Society
Today, the bungalow serves not only as a preserved historic structure but also as a center for collecting and safeguarding artifacts and sharing the stories that have shaped Laguna Beach’s unique identity. The society currently has 300 members.
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Trapdoor leading to the cellar where bootleggers stored liquor during prohibition
Now at the helm as president of the Historical Society, Campbell is a longtime Laguna Beach resident and former chair of the Planning Commission, where she served for 10 years. A dedicated community volunteer and civic leader, she has been active in local planning, environmental and neighborhood issues, helping guide policies that preserve Laguna Beach’s unique character while addressing the needs of residents and visitors.
She grew up in Fresno but gravitated toward San Francisco due to its rich history. “Throughout my career I’ve been able to work on historic preservation. It’s been wonderful. I got to work in Park City, Utah, and we started a preservation society there,” said Campbell, who moved with her family to Laguna in 1966. “When you could still afford to buy a house. It was the perfect time, Laguna was still a little town, everything closed on Sunday.”
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Skipper Carrillo memorabilia on display
Campbell described the renovation, “The entire exterior needed to be repainted, and we matched all the historical colors and redid the landscaping.” They took everything out of the interior and painted it white so they could be more methodical about the exhibitions, which will be on a rotating basis. They have yet to move everything back in.
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Guarding Paradise: Joanna Bear has a vision for sustainable tourism in Laguna Beach
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
For Joanna Bear, tourism is about more than attracting visitors – it is about protecting the very qualities that make Laguna Beach special. As president of Visit Laguna Beach, Bear is helping lead a narrative centered on stewardship of the city’s beaches, trails, arts and natural resources that are deeply impacted by tourism. Her approach emphasizes responsible travel, community collaboration and preserving Laguna Beach’s distinctive coastal character for future generations while continuing to welcome visitors from around the world.
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Joanna Bear took the helm of Visit Laguna Beach in September 2025
Bear took over the helm of Visit Laguna Beach in September 2025 after 22 years at the Surf & Sand Laguna Beach, most recently as general manager. A southern California native, she grew up in San Pedro and then made the trek to Arizona to attend Arizona State University.
That’s where she met her husband RJ, who is the assistant general manager at The Ranch. Although they stayed in Arizona for several years, they always knew they wanted to come back to Orange County to have a family – RJ’s family is in Orange County. The couple are parents to a daughter who is in high school and enjoys playing volleyball.
Bear and her daughter love to shop Downtown and admits that her favorite places to eat are at The Ranch. “If we have family coming, we’ll go to Harvest or the Porch with the live music.”
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Joanna visits the Chef’s Garden at The Ranch
“I started my career at Surf & Sand in 2003 which brought us out here,” Bear said. “My first position was director of the front office and then elevated my leadership role to rooms director and assistant general manager and ultimately the general manager, a role I enjoyed since 2011.”
Her tenure at Surf & Sand gave her rare insight into the market (and visitors to the city) and Bear was ready for a new challenge.
“I enjoyed 22 years at Surf welcoming many new and repeat guests,” she said. “It was very special building those relationships with the community and when this opportunity evolved – it was a great match.”
Although she thought she knew a lot of people in town, she’s loved having the opportunity to meet so many more people. “It’s been such a pleasure – we’re in the people business.”
Bear brings a new perspective at just the right time. “I knew the direction of Visit Laguna Beach was changing with the stewardship narrative and sustainable tourism,” she said. “I thought this would be a great opportunity and I’ve really enjoyed repositioning Visit Laguna Beach.” She admits it’s not a new concept; cities around the globe have adopted it. “When we work with the community and identify how we can help support it, it’s a better experience for residents and visitors alike.” To that end, she’s been working with the arts community and nonprofits and was initially surprised at how many nonprofits are in Laguna.
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Joanna enjoying Lost Pier at Aliso Creek Beach
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Half a century on the sand: Craig Lockwood’s life beyond the lifeguard tower
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
For 50 years, Craig Lockwood has been a familiar figure along the shoreline of Laguna Beach – watching the waves, protecting beachgoers and embracing the ocean-centered lifestyle that shaped his life. But Lockwood’s story extends far beyond the lifeguard tower. An author, journalist, screenwriter, photographer, paddleboarder, surfer, editor, historian and founder of a publishing company Pacific Noir Press, he has spent decades documenting coastal culture while helping tell the stories of others. His career reflects a rare blend of public service, creativity and enduring connection to the sea.
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Craig Lockwood grew up in the Golden Age of surfing surrounded by legends such as Hobie Alter, Peanuts Larson and Tom Morey
Lockwood was born in Pasadena to a creative family – his dad wrote screenplays in Hollywood, and his mother was a sculptor and ceramicist. He attended a Hollywood professional (boys) school run by a studio.
Even though they lived in Pasadena, Laguna is where his family came on the weekends and summers. “It was during the war,” he said, “and gas was tough to get so we took the train to Newport Beach where my mother had a car, and then we drove down to Laguna.
Although Lockwood’s roots run deep in Laguna (his father bought property here in 1914), his historic roots go back even further. “An ancestor was a fiery Revolutionary War Veteran named James Callender!” he said. That passion for life appears to have been inherited by Lockwood.
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Craig with his wife Mary Kathryn and Lucy
The family eventually moved to Laguna. “In the late 1950s, my stepdad opened a gallery on Coast Highway, and my mother did all her design work in a studio there,” he said.
A waterman through and through, he grew up surfing and has competed in the Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race several times.
Lockwood’s introduction to lifeguarding (which was very different back then) led to a career of five decades. At 17 years of age, he took the Laguna test and worked for the state. When he turned 18, he took the test again, was hired by the city of Laguna and stayed – and stayed.
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Lockwood’s editing workspace occupies a prominent place in the home
“There were two of us who were the first permanent lifeguards – Eugene DePaulis and me,” Lockwood said. “He was my senior, and the chief lifeguard was LaVern Duggar.” Dugger was the chief of the Laguna Beach Lifeguard Department from 1959-1972.
“Over the years, lifeguards develop a repertoire of reactions,” he said. “You build your lifesaving knowledge and capacity for spotting things before they ever become a problem, and that’s really when you achieved the level of skill and competence as a lifeguard – or a lifesaver as they say in Australia.”
According to Lockwood, back when he started as a lifeguard, there was a night shift from 7 p.m.-4 a.m. “It started under Laverne Dugger because there were so many incidents of tourists coming to town who didn’t have a hotel to stay in and they were skinny dipping.”
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The legacy of giving: Ann Quilter embodies the spirit of a generation
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Raised in Washington, D.C. during the era of President Kennedy’s famous 1961 inaugural address and Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, Ann Quilter reflects a worldview shaped by service, optimism and a belief in collective responsibility. For Ann, those defining words were never just rhetoric – they became a lifelong call to action. Through decades of quiet generosity and steadfast community involvement, she has translated the ideals of her generation into meaningful impact for the community – and beyond.
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Ann Quilter
“I came of age during the ‘60s activism in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “I really took to heart JFK’s ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’ quote. I’m part of the ‘ask not’ generation that felt it was our duty. It was extremely powerful and I felt it was an obligation. That quote defined me in high school, and that’s how I came into my adulthood. It was a great time to be young, in a generation of vision, and that was absolutely a part of my journey.”
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Charlie and Ann Quilter during the ceremony to renew their vows on their 50th anniversary last May – in the backyard where they were married
Growing up in a Marine Corps family that moved around the country, Ann’s geographical journey was fueled by frequent relocations. Eventually, she ended up working for the state department in the passport office in Seattle, Wash. Although her family was from the East Coast, “It was as if my heart and soul had found its home in the western part of the country,” she said.
It was there she met Charlie Quilter. “At a party, I met a woman who was a flight attendant for Western Airlines, and she said ‘I have a friend I fly with that I think that you would like, Charlie Quilter,’ and I said, ‘You know I’m pretty sure my parents know his parents but I don’t think I’ve met the kids.’”
Coincidentally, the Quilters (Charles and Elizabeth, parents to Charlie, Chris, Patrick and Matthew), who settled in Laguna in the 1960s, were also a military family and moved around a lot.
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Charlie and Ann with daughter Emily and son CJ
Through Charlie, Ann made Laguna Beach her hometown in 1976. They were married in the yard of a small house he bought in the canyon in 1975; however, she didn’t move down here until the following year. “I knew enough about his character that I’d better not come down from Seattle until I had a place to live because he only had one bedroom and no place for me to even hang a sweater. I told him we needed a proper bedroom.” So, they built the upper floor, and she (in typical Ann Quilter style) put up all the drywall.
After moving, and finally settling in her canyon home, Ann faced the dilemma of, “What do I do now?” That turned out to be going to UCI and getting a Master of Science and Administration. “At the time, Charlie was still flying for Western Airlines, and he was ferrying aircraft around the world. He was also in the Marine Corps reserves with a fighter pilot group and had a very busy life.”
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Charlie and Ann with Bonaventure and his wife, Laura Nader, M.D. and their daughter, Randa
Her first endeavor into community service was to join the League of Women Voters. “I used to carry Emily to the meetings in a basket,” she said.
Daughter Emily was born in 1979, and son CJ (Charles John Quilter, III) arrived in 1982. The Quilters also have an honorary/adopted son – Bonaventure, who is from Zimbabwe. An active member of the United Methodist Church of Laguna Beach, Ann has co-led work teams to Zimbabwe, Costa Rica, Cuba and Biloxi, Miss. Bonaventure was a guide during a trip she took to Zimbabwe.
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Echoes in the Canyon: Hob Childers brings music alive in a magical cave in Hidden Valley
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Tucked deep within the natural beauty of Hidden Valley, where sandstone walls rise and the air carries the hush of coastal wilderness, music takes on an entirely new dimension. In a cave shaped by time and tide, Hob Childers and a collective of fellow musicians gather to perform in a setting as raw and resonant as the songs themselves.
“This cave changed me from an observer to a musical participant,” said Childers, who has lived in Hidden Valley with his wife Lisa, former manager of Laguna Beach Books, since 2003.
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Hob Childers playing the harmonica during a recent jam session in the cave
Before Hidden Valley cave (unintentionally) became part of Laguna Beach’s long artistic tradition, Hidden Valley had its own rich – and intriguing – history. Originally, Harold Reed owned 160 acres in Hidden Valley. In 1950, he leased it to Robert Evans and William Hubler who envisioned it as a private recreational area (with tennis courts and putting greens), they named the Hidden Valley Sports Club. The natural caves were used for barbecues and “sings.” Reed, against city opposition, moved 14 one-room cottages onto the property, but the city refused to annex them, and Reed refused to move them. However, in 1954 he made them into 14 complete homes, each on its own lot. Eventually, in 1959, the city annexed Hidden Valley as part of the Canyon Hill annexation.
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Twilight in the cave conjures up a magical vibe
How music became a part of the cave’s legacy unfolded as a result of a Laguna disaster.
“Five of the homes burned in the 1993 fire,” Childers said. “So, a contractor, Robin Young, bought the whole Canyon and built five or six houses at the top of the street. We own the last one that was built.”
Young still lives in the Canyon. “He’s one of my pals, and I love the guy,” Childers said. “I’m the HOA president but he’s the emperor and I go to him anytime there’s a real problem.”
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Musicians gather for a recent jam session
When the Childers moved there in 2003 – they bought the house brand new – he didn’t think much of the cave at the top of the street. “There was nothing going on up there and every time it would rain the drain would plug and the street would flood,” Childers said. “I’d have to go up there with the shovel to clear the drain.”
That was his only interaction with the cave until 2005.
“I heard this really weird sound coming out of the cave, so I went up there to investigate,” Childers said. “There was a guy up there with a didgeridoo and he and his buddy were doing a hand pan. I couldn’t get over the acoustics of the cave; they were just wonderful.”
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Curt Dodd on keys
At that point, Childers wasn’t yet a musician. “I’m not really a musician now, I’m just a guy who plays harmonica, but I got this idea that we should get some friends up here to play guitar and run power up there, put a little fire pit in and enjoy it.” And that’s what he did.
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Zpizza remains a slice of Laguna Beach history for 40 years
By DIANNE RUSSELL
In a town where restaurants often come and go with the tides, Sid Fanarof has managed to keep the oven hot and the dough spinning for four decades at Zpizza. What began as a simple idea – to serve great pizza with the best quality ingredients – has grown into a local institution where generations of Laguna residents have lined up for a slice. Forty years later, the aroma of fresh pizza still drifts out the door, and Fanarof is still at the heart of the place that has become as much a part of the community as the coastline itself.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Sid Fanarof co-founded Zpizza in 1986
“The best tasting food starts with ingredients that are naturally better for you,” a belief he is so dedicated to that this Zpizza motto is written on the wall of the restaurant.
Their dough is made from non-GMO wheat flour, and other ingredients include award-winning skim mozzarella from Wisconsin, certified organic tomato sauce, nitrate–free pepperoni, additive–free sausage and fresh produce.
His passion for clean food led him to his cheese supplier in Wisconsin. “When I met him, I asked if he made cheese without RBST, and he said, ‘yes.’ They’re a little cooperative and we’ve been getting our cheese from the same place for 40 years,” he said. The same diligence was behind choosing his other suppliers.
“It started with the ingredients – and the story grew,” said. Fanarof.
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Photo by Doug Miller
(L-R) Jeff, the cashier and cook Pierre French with Sid Fanarof in 1988
Raised in East Los Angeles, Fanarof moved to Laguna after living in Huntington Harbour. For several years, he saw people from Huntington Harbour traveling to Costa Mesa to pick up pizza in the back of an alley. “I talked to some of my friends and they said it’s the only place for pizza. So, what I learned was that when pizza people like pizza, that’s their pizza place and they grow up with it,” Fanarof said.
Prior to the opening of Zpizza, Fanarof owned another Laguna institution – Spigot Liquor. He turned it into a beach store and brought in healthy eating alternatives by introducing Hansen’s soda, starting the Brown Bag Sandwich Company and stocking cookies from Laguna Cookies. (On a nostalgic note, he even sold Swatch watches there.)
Fanarof met his future Zpizza partner, Suzy Megroz, during the Spigot Liquor days.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Seth Simchowitz, Sid’s stepson, runs the Laguna location
Eventually, he wanted to do something different, and after he sold Spigot Liquor in 1986, he and Megroz opened up a 600–foot store in the same shopping plaza (which had housed Raw Pizza, a bake your own pizza shop.) He wanted Mexican food, and Megroz, who was raised in France, wanted French food, yet somehow, they settled on pizza (even though neither knew how to make it). Megroz brought in the French influence with ingredients like capers and anchovies, and Fanarof contributed pepperoni and the Mexican influence.
“There was enough room for two people to stand in the store, there was no seating, and we had two little tables outside,” he said.
The name Zpizza came about from Megroz’ French pronunciation of “zee pizza place” and it evolved into Zpizza.
Zpizza crust also has a unique origin story. Fanarof took a recipe out of a pizza cookbook, increased it times 10 and put it in a flattening machine – but it never came out. Luckily, a supplier came to the rescue. “He asked if I had any dough, so I took some of the dough from a shelf – he rolled it out into smaller pieces, we put it in the oven,” Fanarof said, and voilà, it’s the same recipe he’s been using for 40 years.
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Junior Citizen of the Year Zachary Menter sets course for Naval Academy
By DIANNE RUSSELL
From the cross-country trails of Laguna Beach to the classrooms of China and soon the halls of the U.S. Naval Academy, Zachary Menter is already charting a remarkable path of discipline and purpose. The Laguna Beach High School senior – fluent in Mandarin and driven by a global curiosity – was named one of the Junior Citizens of the Year for the Patriots Day Parade held on March 14. He also serves as a lifeguard at Crystal Cove, competes in triathlons, and was recognized not only for his academic and athletic achievements, but for a character rooted in service, perseverance and a vision that reaches well beyond the shoreline. It’s no surprise he was also named Valedictorian for his class.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Zachary Menter was chosen as Valedictorian for his senior class
During his high school career, Menter has experienced his share of unique adventures – one being a trip to Taiwan National Security Language Initiative for Youth to study Mandarin.
Of all the languages, why did Menter choose Mandarin, which is generally considered one of the more difficult languages for English speakers?
It came down to a process of elimination. In middle school, he had to choose a language, with the options being Mandarin, French and Spanish. “I chose Mandarin in 7th grade because I didn’t know how to do the rolling ‘r’ in Spanish and I didn’t want to take French. I had a bad experience with French in 6th grade,” Menter said. “That was my introduction to Mandarin, but I’ve since done it for different reasons. I really enjoy the language.”
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Courtesy of Zachary Menter
In Taiwan studying Mandarin
Through the National Security Language Initiative to study Mandarin last summer, Menter had the opportunity to go to Taiwan.
“It was a very steep learning curve,” he said. “You really have to be willing to fail before you get the hang of the language, and it takes a lot of effort. There were high expectations in this program. With a group of 20 participants, I lived at the university for six weeks, and we all went to class four hours a day (just for Mandarin), five days a week.”
He admits that writing the language was the hardest part. “They only did written exams, and it was probably the most I’ve studied in my life. There were about two to three hours of studying a day and when you went to your host family on weekends, they would speak Mandarin.”
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Menter takes a breather from his many activities
On the weekends, members of the group would go to their host families and practice the language. On his off time, Menter could do whatever he wanted in the city or county. “So, I walked six miles around campus or around the city exploring. I found a Costco with two levels, that was a fun. I walked four miles just to see it.”
One delicious bonus to the trip was the Chinese food. “You could get whatever you wanted for an insane price.”
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Math, mentorship and motivation – Estella Cuyler Newton leads by example
By DIANNE RUSSELL
When Estella Cuyler Newton heads to Harvard this fall, she’ll take with her more than a love of mathematics and research that has already taken her as far as Chile. The Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) senior – president of the school’s Coding Club, a mentor teaching computer science to younger students at the Boys & Girls Club and local middle schools and an active volunteer across campus organizations – has been named one of the 2026 Junior Citizens of the Year for the Patriots Day Parade held last Saturday, March 14. (Look for the article on the other Junior Citizen, Zach Menter, in next week’s Stu News.)
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Estella Newton – 2026 Junior Citizen of the Year will attend Harvard in the fall
The Junior Citizen of the Year honor is part of Laguna Beach’s annual Patriots Day Parade, launched in 1967 by the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce. Created to recognize outstanding young leaders – typically seniors at Laguna Beach High School – the award celebrates students who combine academic achievement with community service, leadership and civic engagement. The honoree is recognized during the parade each March alongside the city’s Citizen of the Year, continuing a tradition that highlights both community legacy and the next generation of leaders.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Newton’s love for math has been cultivated over the years
Newton is a wonderful choice to carry on this legacy. She has lived in Laguna since she was 6 months old and attended schools in the LBUSD (her sister is currently in the seventh grade). “It’s been a great experience,” Newton said. “I’m so grateful for my time here. I’ve had so many wonderful teachers, and everyone’s been so supportive of all of my interests. I made a lot of good friends, and I was very lucky to get to go through the system.”
Newton’s appreciation for math has grown over the years. “I’ve always been interested in math, but in high school I’ve seen how it can be used more in the real world, and that’s been very appealing. Harvard has a math/economics program that looks interesting so I might end up majoring in that,” she said. “I don’t have to choose until junior year.”
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Newton is currently reading “Why Nations Fail”
However, her passions extend far beyond math – she is a voracious reader.
“I’m reading, Why Nations Fail,” Newton said. “It’s an economics/political book about global politics. I’m also reading one of George Orwell’s books.” She also is a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby and reads a wide variety of books.
Outside of the classroom, she likes to hike. “I live up at Top of the World so the trails are close to my house, I can just walk there in a couple minutes. I love walking along the trails,” she said.
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Courtesy of Estella Newton
Newton with her mentor Charlie Hoff in Chile during her research project
In addition to math, Newton is equally committed to environmental science. Last summer she had the opportunity to go to Chile for part of a research project that she was doing.
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The Hall of Memories: Laguna Beach High alumni return to their 1984 portraits
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
More than four decades after they first posed for the artist, several Laguna Beach High School alumni returned to campus to stand beside their life-size portraits once again. The striking murals, created in 1984 by artist Megan Hart Jones, originally lined the school cafeteria walls and captured students of that era in vivid, full-scale detail. Now relocated to the Artists Theatre, the portraits found a new home – and last Tuesday, March 3, the former students depicted in them reunited with their painted counterparts, celebrating both the school’s artistic legacy and a unique snapshot of Laguna Beach history.
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Annamarie Reigel poses in front of her 1984 self
Sadly, the artist Megan Hart Jones, a graduate of LBHS and LCAD, died in 1987 at the age of 20. The daughter of Laguna Beach artist John Paul Jones, she once explained that the students are all painted in gray so “the shadows of the past would not overwhelm these people.”
“Laguna Beach is an absolutely awesome place to grow up and LBHS was the icing on the cake,” said Reigel. “Being back walking the halls and seeing ourselves represented by what quite possibly defined us during these years, through the artistic eye of Megan Jones, is something special.”
However, the portraits had an interesting history before they settled into their current spots.
Soon after the murals were painted on the cafeteria walls in 1984, the cafeteria was remodeled – and the space became what is now the library. Over the years, they were moved several times until they were relocated to the hallway of the Artists Theatre.
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Kim Bixler Leeds wearing the popular ‘80s leggings
When Megan Hart Jones’ mother found out the portraits were in danger of being destroyed, she asked for help from Annamarie Reigel.
“Megan’s mom was very upset that they were going to be destroyed,” Reigel said. “She asked me to come home from school for the weekend and help raise money for the process to peel the walls.” They hired an Italian professional muralist preservationist and Johann Jonas, whose son Chris was a portrait subject, was one of the donors.
“Chris, who couldn’t be at the event today, is in Bologna, Italy, performing and teaching a master class in jazz,” Johann said. “Megan was a girlfriend of my son and when she passed away, they asked him to help find a tree to plant in the garden and he wrote the music and played for the memorial. It was a pleasure to have known her. She was a lovely person.”
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Johann Jonas, mother of Chris Jonas, stands in front of his portrait. Now a musician living in Berlin, he was unable to attend the event.
For many years, the names of the students depicted in the portraits remained a mystery. How they came to be identified and then ultimately found is an intriguing story, one that the event organizer Claudia Redfern unraveled for the attendees at the event.
Both Redfern and her friend Angela Irish were passionate about the project. Thanks to some sleuthing, the students’ names and contact information were ultimately found.
Irish volunteered as a parent when her son, Michael, was attending LBUSD. Upon his graduation the district created a classified position for her to be paid. “Angela loves what she does,” said Redfern. Irish has been costume creator for 25+ years outfitting all the theater students at LBHS. Besides overseeing the costumes for all the plays, she washes and mends all costumes.
“My children graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 1991 and ‘93,” Redfern said. “The 15 students in the portraits graduated in 1984 and 1985. I knew about the 15 life-size murals when they were located in the Laguna Beach High School cafeteria. However, it wasn’t until years later I realized that thankfully the murals by Megan Hart Jones had carefully been removed, framed and relocated in the hallways around the Artist Theatre. For some 40 years no one really knew who the students were…there were no names or graduation years.”
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Mark Bithell, number 84, looks back 40 years
Coincidentally, the subject came up in conversation when Redfern was playing pickleball.
Redfern said. “We have a couple of young ladies here, Annamarie Reigel and Raquelle Willett Basto, (at the event) because I met them playing pickleball. I asked them where they went to high school. They said LBHS and then I asked if they knew anything about the students in the artwork.” To Redfern’s surprise, Reigel said, “Yeah, I’m one of them.”
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Riding the endless wave: Laguna’s Dick Metz returns to where it all started
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos By Mary Hurlbut
As Grand Marshal of the 2026 Patriots Day Parade on March 14, Dick Metz has a lot to celebrate. At 96, Metz is still riding the momentum of a life shaped by saltwater and serendipity. Raised in Laguna Beach, Metz came of age alongside the pioneers of modern surfing, forging a lifelong friendship with Hobie Alter and eventually owning 22 Hobie surf/sports shops. Widely regarded as the real-life inspiration behind Bruce Brown’s 1966 film The Endless Summer, Metz helped define the golden era of the sport.
Even now, this local icon continues to shape the story of surfing. As founder of the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center (SHACC), Metz is eagerly anticipating the re-opening of the museum in its permanent location on Broadway Avenue. (It was previously in San Clemente.)
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Dick Metz wears polarized sunglasses designed by Hobie Alter
In a staggering collaboration of Laguna legends, Metz, along with SHACC Board Members Mark Christy, Jeff Alter, Greg MacGillivray, Paul Naude, Patti Paniccia, Randy Hild, Dan McInerny and Royce Cansler brought a dream to fruition by securing the former Downtown Laguna Beach location of Laguna Drugs.
Returning to the place it all started – the SHACC is a mere half a block from Main Beach boardwalk where his dad owned the Laguna Diner housed in an old railroad car and then the Broiler restaurant – Metz has come full circle.
Raised in Laguna Beach during surfing’s formative years, Metz grew up in a tight-knit coastal fraternity that included close friend and fellow Laguna standout Peanuts Larson. Together they were part of the small but adventurous cadre of postwar surfers who helped define Orange County’s early surf culture. Metz also forged a lifelong friendship with Hobie Alter and moved within the same circles as innovators like Dale Velzy and stylist Phil Edwards. As his travels took him to Hawaii in the 1950s, Metz formed bonds with legendary watermen including Peter Cole and later crossed paths with big-wave charger Greg Noll.
That generation’s shared exploration – from Laguna’s reefs to Hawaiian swells – helped shape not only Metz’s legendary wanderlust, but the golden era of California surfing itself.
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Metz and his three-year journey around the world from 1958-1961 inspired the film “Endless Summer”
Few are left to tell the story of early Laguna, and Metz is a revered and precise memory keeper. He was born in 1929 – just two years after the city was incorporated and on the brink of the Great Depression. “There was no hospital here, so I was born in Pomona, and then came right back here.”
By an earlier twist of fate, an unpaid meat bill prompted his parents move to Laguna.
“My parents (Carl and Edna May) went to high school together, then to Pomona Jr. College and both got teaching degrees (which back then took two years). My mom became a teacher in Big Bear, and my dad ran the Safeway store.” But his dad wanted to have his own business and through his meat salesman, the senior Metz found out a restaurant in Laguna could be bought by paying their overdue meat bill. “So, my dad went to L.A., paid $137 and got the restaurant,” he said. “My mother was an elementary school teacher here in Laguna for years.”
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The Broiler, with a bar, restaurant and dance floor, was on the boardwalk. Later it was taken down by the city since the row of buildings blocked the “window to the sea.”
As time went on, Metz became part of the burgeoning surf scene. “The local surfers built a shack on the sand from the wood salvaged from the destroyed pier, and we hung out there,” he said.
At a young age (12), he learned bartending at his dad’s restaurant while the senior Metz was out doing errands. As the years went on, this skill served Metz well – he surfed during the day and tended bar around town at night.
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Metz is a prolific storyteller and respected keeper of Laguna’s early history
Metz recalls the day WW II started: “As a young teenager living on El Camino Del Mar, I was riding my bike at the corner of Legion and Glenneyre streets when people suddenly ran out of the nearby church shouting that the country was at war and that Pearl Harbor had been bombed,” he said. Not fully understanding what Pearl Harbor even was at the time, he rode home to ask his mother, who confirmed the news – it was December 7. In the days that followed, he recalls that everyone enlisted in the military, including his father. The upheaval deeply affected his family as well; shortly afterward, his mother filed for divorce.
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From local pool to Ivy League: Logan McCarroll’s homegrown rise to Division I MVP
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Long before he was named MVP of the Northeast Water Polo Conference at Princeton University, Logan McCarroll was a nine-year-old kid diving into the pool with the Laguna Beach Water Polo Club. Raised in a town where athletics and community are deeply intertwined, McCarroll’s journey from Laguna’s shores to Division I competition is more than a personal achievement – it’s a testament to the coaches, mentors and culture that shaped him. His success is not just a collegiate milestone; it’s a hometown story about what can happen when talent, discipline and community support grow up together.
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Courtesy of Princeton Athletics
Logan McCarroll is a senior at Princeton University, competing at the Division I level with the men’s water polo program
“Growing up in Laguna and being immersed in its strong athletic and community culture shaped not only my development as an athlete but also my values and perspective,” McCarroll said.
Laguna Beach’s role in developing student athletes who carry those values far beyond the city is not to be underestimated.
This season, he was honored to be named MVP of the Northeast Water Polo Conference.
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Photo by Kathy Swart
Logan and Princeton teammates shaking hands post-game
“As I reflect on that milestone, it is clear how much of that success traces directly back to Laguna Beach, from the coaches and mentors who invested in me early on to the culture of discipline, balance and excellence that defines the community,” he said.
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Photo by Kathy Swart
Princeton teammates celebrating their Northeast Water Polo Conference win
From the Princeton campus, McCarroll offered some insights into his athletic journey:
Q: You started water polo at just nine years old with the Laguna Beach Water Polo Club – what first drew you to the sport?
A: I actually grew up in sports before I ever touched a water polo ball. My twin sister Lela and I started skiing when we were about 20 months old, and for several years, my siblings and I were on the Mammoth Ski Team. I also played soccer for a while, so being competitive and active was just part of our lifestyle from the beginning.
Water polo came into my life through my older brother Larsen. After he tore his ACL skiing, he shifted into water polo, and I would sit and watch his practices. I remember being drawn to the intensity of it. The physicality, the speed, the team aspect. It was different from anything I had done before. Not long after, Lela and I joined the 10-and-under co-ed team with the Laguna Beach Water Polo Club, coached by Albie Beeler and Rob Carver.
From the very beginning, those coaches made the sport exciting. They taught us the fundamentals, but they also built confidence. They saw potential in me early on and pushed me to compete. What started as watching my brother quickly turned into something I loved for myself. The competitiveness, the teamwork and the challenge of mastering something new are what first drew me in, and it never really let go.
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Artist of the Year David Nelson – a life in silver and Sawdust
By DIANNE RUSSELL
In Sawdust Art Festival lore, some names are spoken with reverence – and David Nelson is one of them. A master of silver whose hands have shaped metal into story for more than half a century, Nelson isn’t just a jeweler; he’s one of the Festival’s founding spirits.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
David Nelson, one of the Sawdust founders, has watched its evolution over the past 56 years
His specialty is silversmithing, a traditional form of jewelry fabrication that transforms raw materials like wire and sheet metal laboriously by hand with an arsenal of tools and fire. He’s also very skilled at stone inlay – he grinds gemstones into fine grain before embedding them into grooved silver.
Silversmithing, a craft steeped in history, traces its origins to ancient times when artisans began fashioning silver into ornate objects, symbolizing wealth and cultural significance. Over the centuries, this art evolved, with each era contributing new techniques and styles. This craft’s journey from ancient handcrafting to the dawn of mechanization is a fascinating tale of creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship – enduring qualities reflected in Nelson’s work.
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Courtesy of David Nelson
One of Nelson’s signature “Wave” styles with stonework
For 56 consecutive years, his booth has been part of the heartbeat of summer in Laguna Beach, where generations of locals and visitors alike have paused to admire his handcrafted silver. This summer is his 57th, and he will approach it with the same dedication as in decades past.
Beyond his own artistry, Nelson, along with a few other Sawdust exhibitors, founded what would become the Sawdust Benevolence Fund – a discreet but powerful safety net that has helped fellow artists weather illness, hardship and life’s unexpected turns, reflecting the same generosity of spirit that defines his work and his part in the Sawdust community.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Water wheel housing built in the 70s. It needed help by the 1980s, so David became custodian and brought in all the antiques to give it character.
Nelson’s connection to the Sawdust began in 1968, when, at age 15, he traveled from Texas to visit his brother. He was immediately captivated by the artists and their work.
Although he went back to Texas to go to high school, he returned to Laguna in 1970 at the age of 17 and began by helping Tracey Moscaritolo manage her booth at the Sawdust. He hung a few of his drawings and watercolors and then started making jewelry.
Self-taught, crafting silver quickly became his primary creative endeavor. From ‘69-71 he shared Moscaritolo’s booth and then in 1972, he got his own.
He’s also been doing the Craft Guild at Main Beach since 1972 and was one of the seven artists who started the Winter Guild as a pop-up show. Over the years, he was the Snow Wizard in charge of the snow.
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Courtesy of David Nelson
Rings crafted by Nelson
Nelson joined the show a year after it officially became the Sawdust Festival. In its former iteration, it was called the Rejects (named after the artists who didn’t make it into the Festival of Arts).
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The golf cart that started it all – Dr. John Micha and a Laguna Beach first
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Long before golf carts dotted Laguna Beach streets, one belonged to a doctor whose vision would reach far beyond the city (and carts) –into global women’s health and the award-winning restoration of a historic hotel in Montana.
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Vicki, Noodles and John Micha in their second golf cart
Turns out that Dr. John Micha, an oncology specialist, and his wife Vicki, a (retired) psychotherapist, are innovators down to the core.
Dr. Micha is the founder and chairman of Women’s Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF). Since 1985, the physicians and researchers at the WCRF have been at the forefront of pioneering clinical research, aimed at enhancing cure rates among women diagnosed with breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers. WCRF actively engages in designing, conducting and disseminating groundbreaking research focused on cutting-edge medical treatments.
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Dr. Micha discussing his Women’s Cancer Research Foundation
“The Research Foundation hired a Ph.D., Bram Goldstein, just to write papers and organize all the research data for the doctors,” John said. “We went from where it would take a doctor 200 hours to do a project and write a paper to where it would take two hours.”
Prior to that, Dr. Micha was affiliated with Hoag Hospital in his specialized field and then opened a comprehensive medical practice for women. The practice included all aspects of care, so the patient could visit one location for a full spectrum of procedures and care and not have to visit multiple doctors.
“In the beginning, I basically lived at the hospital and slept there until I could get a partner. I traveled all over the state, USC, Cedars, UCSF. I would fly in and do surgeries. It was great for a long time, but I felt like I was driving a dynamite truck. It was a very stressful job, and I had a heart attack at 54. I knew I could no longer do 14-hour surgeries,” he said.
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Vicki is now retired but works in the foundation and is an artist
Forty-one-year residents of Laguna, the Michas grew up in upstate New York.
“I met John when I was 16. We went to the same high school,” Vicki said, “but he was off at college. I was friends with the people he had been friends with, so he came to my Sweet 16 birthday party.” She attended graduate school in New York City – while he was at Cornell, she was at Columbia (graduating in the top 10 in her class) – and they married in his third year of medical school.
“I came out from Cornell and finished up over at UCI which had one of the best human oncology services in the country at that point,” John explained. “Then I was supposed to go back to Cornell to be director. I had offers from all over the country, but one day, we were walking on the beach in Newport, and Vicki and I had the conversation, ‘do you really want to go back, no me neither.’”
They built their home here in Laguna in 1985.
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The Michas up in the hills with a magnificent view of the coast
“I worked in emergency psychiatry at UCI; I was a psychiatric social worker and in my private practice I worked a lot with teens. I love working with teens and it was always my passion,” Vicki said.
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Frank Aronoff: Meet the man behind the LBHS sports stats
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Frank Aronoff has spent the last 32 years as athletic historian for the Laguna Beach High School Breakers and has recently taken over the role of Stu News Laguna’s sports editor. “The first project I did for Laguna High School sports was the 1994 Football Record Book celebrating 60 years of the sport at Laguna.” He was asked to recreate the statistics when many of the records were lost in the October 1993 fire. At the time, the high school athletics office was being repainted, and the records were stored at Thurston and destroyed in the fire.
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Frank Aronoff came over to Stu News as sports editor last fall
Recreating the extensive stats seems like an arduous task, and it would have been for anyone without Aronoff’s background – and passion for sports.
“I’d done the same kind of research for San Diego State back in the ‘70s,” Aronoff said. “So, I got the microfilm and put it back together, and that got me started. I built the first record book for the high school in 1994 for the football team. Then my daughter started high school in ‘95, and I had already been doing the football record book for two years, so I did girls volleyball and then she also played soccer, so I picked up girls soccer.”
Those first record books evolved into the overall stats that Aronoff compiles for LBHS. Aronoff credits Stu Saffer, founder of Stu News, for the direction Aronoff’s recordkeeping took. “Stu was a big push to have me do what I do now,” Aronoff said. “Beginning in the late 1990s, he asked me to write weekly notes on the high school teams.”
After Saffer left the Coastline, Aronoff was at the Indy. “Stu and I never saw eye to eye when we were involved in youth sports back in the ‘90s, but when it came to getting the kids’ information in the papers, we were on the same page,” Aronoff said.
When changes were made at the Indy last fall, and Stu News needed a sports editor, Aronoff came over after 23 years at the Indy.
Of course, one wonders how he covers all the sports. How many places can you be at once?
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Aronoff at LBHS football field, where he has spent many days and nights watching games
“I go to every football game,” he said. “If I miss a girls volleyball game, it’s because I’m at a football game, and I usually have somebody take the camera and film the game. I see every game and then in the wintertime I do girls water polo and, in the spring, I do boys volleyball.” Now technology, in the form of a live camera system, has made it a lot easier keeping track of everything else, Aronoff explained.
“For example, I was at a fall football game at Chino and at the same time we had a girls volleyball match against JSerra Catholic High School. I can control the camera and was able to log on and monitor the game to the end and send the film to a stat service to get started for me while I was still at the football game.” When Aranoff got home from the football game, the stats were there.
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By taking the path less traveled, Julie Sandler has been making it happen in the mortgage industry for 50 years
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Julie Sandler has inhabited many roles during her 50 years as a mortgage broker. One role that continues to define her is owner of Laguna Beach Lending Group, Inc. However, that’s just one facet of her story, one that has been filled with opportunities, challenges and hard work. Aptly described as “Fit, Fab and 70,” she still has a passion for the mortgage lending business – and for a vibrant life that has taken her down many unconventional paths.
Sandler started her business at an age (21) during an era in which both her age and being a female would have seemed defeating elements. “Entering a male-dominated field appealed to my determination to not be boxed in by expectations, gender norms or age,” Sandler said.
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Julie Sandler visited Laguna Beach when she was young and later decided to open her business here
“I graduated from Canoga Park High School in the San Fernando Valley at 18,” she said. “My father handed me $500 and said, ‘Have a great life. I know you will.’ I was clueless, and wondered how I would afford college, living and eating. Well, lo and behold, I figured it out.”
In the process of working and going to school, people saw Sandler’s hunger to live life to its fullest and 50 years later, she still has that hunger. She was determined to have a career that directly translated work into results, income and autonomy – something few traditional paths offered at that young age.
Surprisingly, her age turned into an asset.
“The mortgage brokering offers scalability, entrepreneurship and influence over my financial trajectory – something especially compelling when starting young. It gave me agency, growth and the ability to refuse to wait for permission,” she said.
As a result of her tenacity, she started in the mortgage business in the San Fernando Valley, and after five years, formed her own corporation in 1980. She stayed in the Valley for 15 plus years before coming to Laguna, where she’s been for 20 years.
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Julie Sandler at one of her properties in Laguna
“Being young (and likely underestimated) can fuel a strong desire to show competence, credibility and resilience – both to others and to yourself,” Sandler said. “I felt the combination of being young and mortgage brokering rewarded communication, trust-building and emotional intelligence – areas where many women excel and recognize their strength early.”
Coming to Laguna
Eventually, Sandler chose Laguna to live and started her business here, which proved to be fortunate for the city.
“I visited Laguna Beach when I was young and always knew it was in my future,” she said. The place left a lasting impression on her – the creativity, coastal beauty and sense of community stayed with her over the years. “When the time came to open my own business, Laguna Beach felt like a natural choice – a place that had inspired me early in life and continues to align with my values and vision today.”
For Sandler, Laguna Beach doesn’t just feel like a place to live. “It feels like a place that holds you. Hellos turn into conversations, and conversations turn into connections.”
And those connections account for her staying power.
Sandler explained, “It’s not a one-and-done process. Longevity in mortgage brokering is built on repeat clients and referrals, and it feels like you’re building something lasting. Staying honest, transparent and client-first keeps people coming back across generations. Experience has given me pattern recognition. I have seen cycles repeat and learned when to be cautious and when to move. Fifty years in this business teaches you what works – and what doesn’t. That knowledge is my advantage.”
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Fiona Petersen and Tony Zentil keep Laguna Canyon Riders in motion
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Given our vast network of Laguna wilderness trails, it’s no surprise that mountain biking is popular here. The sport experienced a recent surge in new participants, especially after the pandemic, which led to significant increases in sales and trail usage. While this initial boom for casual riders may have leveled off, the number of people engaging in the sport continues to grow, with more than 9.2 million Americans participating in off-pavement biking in 2023.
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(L-R) Sponsor Troy Lee with Tony Zentil before the LCR’s big event Dirt Fondo on November 8
Tony Zentil, Laguna Canyon Riders (LCR) founder, and Fiona Petersen, who joined the program about a year after launch, have made sure mountain biking is alive and within the reach of Laguna Beach kids in grades 6-12. Before Zentil initiated LCR, there was no organized youth mountain biking program in the city.
“We started this idea of Laguna Canyon Riders about 12 years ago,” said Zentil. “My daughter was entering the 6th grade at middle school, and we were aware that there were other schools in Southern California – and nationwide – with mountain bike programs that were part of the school athletic program.”
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Fiona Petersen on Dartmoor trail during group ride
Zentil was surprised that even though this is one of the best places in the world for mountain biking, we didn’t have mountain biking programs. “We had surf teams, swim clubs and other sports teams, but nothing centered around mountain biking, and I wondered why we didn’t have a program.” So, he started researching how it can be done and found Corona del Mar at the time had one. (They don’t have one now but they’re trying to revive it). “I talked to one of their faculty members and he said there was a nationally accredited program that you could take to your school and launch it.” Zentil tinkered with the model and launched the youth mountain bike program Laguna Canyon Riders 12 years ago.
The team is registered with USA Cycling. All coaching and volunteers are subject to USAC accreditation and rules.
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LCR team on the Laguna trails
Zentil used to work for Oakley and that’s where he met Petersen, who joined him in LCR about a year after it was launched.
Zentil was already well entrenched in the sports world through his company FIX Manufacturing. “It’s a tool company focused on action and adventure sports. I make tools for bikes, for surfing, for snowboarding – the sports that use specialty equipment that requires specialty tools.” His customers run the gamut from REI to Troy Lee Cyclery in town, and from a corner surf shop to a national big box sporting goods store.
Petersen is LCR’s organizer, schedule maker and all-around wrangler.
“I used to work for Oakley, the sunglasses company, and Fiona and I had a mutual connection there,” Zentil said.
Zentil pulled her into LCR and then later realized she’s a wonderful writer, great with the kids and fun to be around. “She’s really organized,” he said. “We realized we needed a secretary and somebody who’s better behind the scenes than I was because running the program was very time consuming.”
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Petersen and team mascot Leilani on Dartmoor trail
“I was showing up for practice three days a week at 3:30 p.m., trying to herd 30 kids and pulling in all my friends to help with coaching. It was hard to do,” Zentil admitted.
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Moya Living of North End Design – where style meets steel
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Moya O’Neill, CEO and founder of Moya Living and managing partner of North End Design, calls her new space in North Laguna a fantasy come true. A 30-year Laguna resident, O’Neill said, “I drove by this building every day on my way to work and thought, ‘it would be a dream to be in that window.’” Her vision came to fruition in March of this year.
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Moya O’Neill, founder and CEO of Moya Living
Previously occupied by Von Hemert Furniture – which closed in 2020 – North End Design is now a shared showroom featuring collections of Moya Living’s custom luxury, powder-coated, hand-crafted steel cabinetry for both residential and commercial spaces – and Aranelli Design which specializes in creating kitchen spaces by utilizing the latest design concepts. This showroom collaboration seems a perfect fit for the elegant North Laguna structure.
“We’re both cabinet makers, but their primary focus is kitchens,” said O’Neill. “We do powder rooms, kitchens, offices and outdoor spaces.”
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Some examples of the jewel-toned custom cabinets
Steel cabinets may bring to mind the sterile styleless boxes in 1950s kitchens or the oatmeal-colored filing cabinets one finds in offices. Wipe that picture out of your mind and instead visualize jewel-tone colors and exquisite design.
Strange as it seems, the creation of Moya Living did originate from O’Neill’s experience designing laboratory furniture for Genie Scientific (she is majority owner). “We build labs as a family business called Genie Scientific. We started selling reconditioned lab cabinets, and I worked for them for 15 years. As time went on, we couldn’t find enough cabinets, but I was in love with metal cabinets because you can repurpose them.” In addition, they are easy to clean and because the cabinets are welded, there are no harmful glues.
O’Neill spotted a gap in the market for luxury steel cabinetry and Moya Living was born. Her manufacturing facility is in Fountain Valley where she has 40 on staff.
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O’Neill welcoming visitors. She’s wearing a belt by Diana Garreau, who designed the wallpaper in the window.
How did working for Genie Scientific evolve into O’Neill founding Moya Living and her artistic nature coming into play? “I’d been in business more than 40 years, and I was dealing with scientists and engineers all day,” she said. “My friends who are artists said, ‘it’s killing you.’ This business started slowly and it’s just really blowing up.”
Moya Living cabinets feature the rare intersection of steel and style, integrating the durability of steel and robust engineering with a strong sense of design. “Our designs are custom – we work closely with architects and designers across the U.S., and we’ve done projects like The Dakota Building in NYC and Apple’s campus in Cupertino,” O’Neill said.
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One of the kitchen vignettes in North End Design
“I’m not a designer,” she said. Although she clearly is as evidenced by her design of the showroom. “I work with designers to create for their clients and oversee the manufacturing at Moya Living.”
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Amy Calvert represents the sale of the Waymakers iconic property
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
If walls could talk, the ones in the Waymakers house on Catalina Street in Laguna would have a lot to say. In operation for 46 years, it has served as a haven for 6,700 children, and within its confines, holds the stories of those young lives.
Most residents are aware of the Waymakers non-profit facility and its history. Offering short-term crisis intervention and shelter for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth ages 12-17, Waymakers has been a refuge for children for almost five decades. Many know that the property is being sold and has been on the market for almost 30 days.
When state funding was cut in January, Waymakers could no longer maintain the Catalina Street building, and those six beds were relocated to the Tustin shelter.
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Amy Calvert welcomes visitors at the door of the Waymakers property
Local Amy Calvert, listing & sales partner to Tim Smith, the Tim Smith Real Estate Group, is handling the sale.
“I received a call from Carol Carlson, Waymakers director of shelter programs, asking if we would be interested in meeting regarding the property. I think she contacted us because we have such a big presence in Laguna,” Calvert said. “My partner Tim Smith and I sell a lot of houses here.”
Calvert was more than interested – for a couple of reasons – it was an iconic property, and she lives in the neighborhood (with her husband Chief of Police Jeff Calvert). “I’ve driven by the property 1,000 times. I’ve always been so curious about it because of its quintessential Laguna charm with its green and white trim, and I love the curb appeal. When I got the call, I was so excited and wanted to be part of it.”
Calvert went a step further. As evidence of her dedication to the project, she is handling the sale without charging an agent’s fee.
“I’m blessed to have a lot of business and wherever I can help, I’m all for it,” she said. “I want to give back to them because they need it, and hopefully, I’ll meet some great people along the way.” She admitted that’s already happened.
“It seemed like the right thing to do. They have since relocated the six kids from the property – they have three other shelters in Orange County – but this is the one they own, and it has been a big blessing for them.”
Initially launched in Laguna, Waymakers expanded to include the three other locations.
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The Waymakers home was founded in 1979
What initially appeared to be an unfortunate situation, because the shelter was forced to move and sell the property, turned out to be beneficial. Even though they lost funding, the house is an asset. “This sale is going to help save more children,” Calvert said.
Providing safe shelter in a positive home-like setting, Waymakers has a 97% success rate of kids in securing jobs and having a good life. “This house and the staff here were instrumental in leading the children in the right direction, and connecting them with education and employment,” said Calvert. Many of those who were once residents return to tell the staff that Waymakers was the determining factor in their lives.
Despite the Waymakers move from its longtime location on Catalina Street to the Tustin facility, the nonprofit remains dedicated to providing the same services it has offered in the past.
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Crazy for cars – the story behind a few classic cars and their Laguna owners
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
On Sunday, Oct. 5, car aficionados gathered to showcase their treasures at the 21st Laguna Beach Classic Car Show and Oktoberfest hosted by the Rotary Club of Laguna Beach. For 20 years, Harry Bithell held an instrumental role in creating and leading the Laguna Beach Classic Car Show.
Currently George Nelson, owner of Fawn Memories, and Rudy Campos are behind the spectacular day of festivities and Oktoberfest celebrations. The annual invitational event featured the finest classic cars – from antiques and vintage beauties to hot rods and muscle cars.
The car show is one of the Rotary Club’s two main fundraisers supporting their many charities, the other being Grapes for Grads, which raises money for Laguna Beach High School and Laguna College of Art + Design scholarships.
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George Nelson’s 1966 Volkswagen Van. It’s the second year he’s shown it, and sometimes he brings other cars from his collection.
This year, the lot across from the Festival of Arts was packed with 115 head-turning autos in dazzling gem-colored tones and subtle pastels. The proud owners had much to say about their vehicles, and yes, there are nicknames for people who are crazy about cars. The common names include gearhead (American English), petrolhead (British English) and car enthusiast. Other terms are motorhead, auto aficionado and car geek.
Whatever you want to call them, the owners offered up the stories behind their cars, some with multi-generational histories. The day also held a bit of nostalgia – just the sight of a particular car can evoke a flood of memories from a particular time – the smell of leather and current tunes playing on the radio.
Here are just a few of the stories.
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Suzanne Barber with her dad’s 1959 Corvette. She wore her dad’s Snap On Tool shirt and cap the day of the show. He had been top producer for Snap On Tools in L.A. County for more than 30 years when he retired. The car won the “People’s Choice” award.
Local Suzanne Barber – author, artist, gallerist – brought her 1959 red and white Corvette convertible, which has been in the family for more than 40 years.
“My dad was the second owner,” she said. “It had not been taken care of, so he stripped it down to the frame and had it rebuilt. His passion was restoring cars. We would go to the car swap meet and he’d hand me a door handle from a 1965 Mustang and say, ‘now go find me another one just like this’ and I would!”
Barber acquired it just over six years ago when her dad passed away.
“It has been my dream to show this car since the first day I ever saw it,” she said. “I was about 20 years old the first time my dad took me for a ride in it. He, being the excellent driver that he was, handled what could have been a bad situation like a pro. A motor home ran a red light and would have hit us on our right side but my dad, the quick thinker, gassed it and got around the motor home. I was speechless and he just laughed! I learned that if you hit the brakes, there will be a crash, gas it and get out of the way. He was all about cars and tools, yet he had four girls. I was very proud to drive his car to the Laguna Beach car show. He was with me.”
On Sunday, there was a surprise in store for Barber.
“I was so shocked that I won the ‘People’s Choice’ award. It brought me to tears and Dad would have loved that! It was my dream – to show the Corvette, and then it won!”
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Alex Anderson is dedicated to her role as gatekeeper of our natural resources
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
In her role as PORTS (Parks Online Resource for Teachers and Students) Interpreter for California State Parks, technically, Alex Anderson’s classroom is outside of Cottage #13 at the southernmost point in Crystal Cove State Beach. With her back to the ocean and Crystal Cove’s mysterious and magical tidepools, Anderson describes it as a “living museum.”
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Alex Anderson has been a PORT Interpreter for three years
For someone who once considered being a librarian, this seems world’s away from that occupation – or maybe not. In much the same way as librarians serve as liaisons of knowledge, Anderson serves as a bridge to understanding the natural environment.
“I think you have to understand something to love it, and that love translates into protecting it,” she said.
Anderson started with California State Parks 10 years ago and credits her mentor Crystal Cove State Park’s Interpretative Naturalist Winter Bonnin for supporting and nurturing her passion.
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As a PORTS Interpreter, Alex Anderson educates the public about the natural and cultural resources in the park
“Our job as interpreters is to bring meaning to the natural and cultural resources in the park,” Anderson said, “so that hopefully people make connections and create memories – and that’s how they’re going to learn to love these resources and want to protect them.”
To that end – along with several other projects – Anderson presents 45-minute online programs to students, grades K-12. “I love where I teach,” she said. “It’s Cottage #13 in Crystal Cove. I set my equipment up on the deck, right in front of one of our tidepool locations. During the presentation, students have a live view of the ocean and tidepools. It’s a great resource for kids who can’t get to the beach. I’ve been thinking lately about access to the park and ocean and focusing on reaching people virtually who don’t have access. It’s a way for landlocked schools to get a live view of the coastline and make a connection.”
Anderson brings the diversity of State Parks directly into the classroom no matter where the students are. “I do virtual field trips for K through 12 and I do two programs that offer tidepool animal adaptations. I just recently created a program solely on octopuses. I’m obsessed with them.”
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Alex Anderson in her office with artifacts from the area
She also has a partnership with CHOC, Children’s Hospital of Orange County. “I deliver PORTS virtual field trips to patients in CHOC’s Cherese Mari Laulhere’s youth inpatient psychiatric facility,” she said. “It’s a very meaningful partnership to me. The patients are ages 3-17 and they have a classroom in the hospital.” Anderson works with their education staff to offer a live view of the coastline for the students. The goal is to let the students know that when they leave the hospital there is an accepting and enriching world waiting for them to explore in California State Parks.
“I love that partnership with CHOC, which I do every Tuesday, and then on Thursdays I do my programs for K through 12 schools for any teacher who’s signed up (via the PORTS website ports.parks.ca.gov),” Anderson said.
They have a new blended program which includes both digital and in-park experiences.
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Outside Cottage #13
“I’m also a member of the Orange County Marine Protected Area Council OC, our local branch of the people who work with marine protected areas within the county, so we have different teams within OCMPAC.”
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Julie Perlin Lee brings her passion for museums full circle at LAM
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
At age 13, a trip to the East Coast ignited Laguna Art Museum’s Executive Director Julie Perlin Lee’s love for museums. “I had an epiphany when my grandmother took me traveling to the East Coast and we visited the Smithsonian. I grew up in Orange County, and it was the first time I’d been vacationing to that extent.”
The variety of exhibitions from so many places – housed under one roof – was intoxicating. “All that creativity hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was an exciting and enticing moment for me,” she said.
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Julie Perlin Lee started at LAM in May 2021
That revelation influenced the trajectory of her life. “I knew I wanted to bring art alive in a museum setting – for people to visit,” she said.
To that end, she accumulated numerous degrees and a wealth of experience before landing at LAM. Perlin Lee holds a BA in Art History, MFA in Exhibition Design and Certificate in Museum Studies from California State University, Fullerton.
Her career has included roles at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, the Catalina Museum and ultimately as executive director at the Laguna Art Museum (LAM).
Art is a family affair. The other half of this talented couple is David Michael Lee, an artist, professor and gallery curator at Coastline Community College in Newport Beach. They have a son, Alistair (16) who goes to Laguna Beach High School and a daughter Amzonette (11), a student at Thurston Middle School. “My kids have grown up in museums which is really amazing,” said Perlin Lee.
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“Latest and Greatest” exhibition, nearly 50 of LAM’s roughly 6,000 pieces of their permanent collection are on display in a rotating exhibition
Starting out as a volunteer at Bowers Museum in the collections room, Perlin Lee attributes her first museum job to good fortune. “I got super lucky because one of the gals I worked with went on maternity leave, so I got a part-time job that was my first museum job and then over time I was able to continue there in a full-time role. It was a fantastic job I was there for eight years.”
Over time, she became the vice president of Collections and Exhibition Development at the Bowers Museum where she worked from 2008-2016 to grow the permanent collection, direct research and preservation, organize exhibitions and contribute to museum publications.
“I was traveling a lot and then I had a family,” she said. “I was leaving my husband alone with two little kids while I was away for 10 days (sometimes with no cell phone reception) in places like east China.” It was time for a change.
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Perlin Lee behind the scenes at the “Eternal Construction: Photographic Perspectives” exhibition, which opened on September 20
Hence the move to Catalina Island in 2016 when Perlin Lee was offered the position at the Catalina Museum. In a strange twist of fate, she recalled, “Just six months earlier, my husband and I had been sitting on the beach in Catalina looking at the mainland and daydreaming about what changing our perspective might look like.”
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After 23 years, Mary Kate Saunders passes the torch on to new owners of her physical therapy practice
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
In a March 2021 interview with Stu News, Mary Kate Saunders, owner of Mary Kate Saunders Physical Therapy, said, “I’ve never had a day when I didn’t want to come to work. I wish I could find something that I love as much as working.”
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Mary Kate Saunders retires from her practice as of October 16
That something could very well be retirement. After four decades as a physical therapist – 23 of them as owner of Mary Kate Saunders Physical Therapy – Saunders is retiring and handing over the keys to new owners. Before starting her own practice in 2002 on the corner of Glenneyre and Cress streets, Saunders worked as an independent contractor for Laguna Beach Physical Therapy. In March 2020, she moved her practice to the present location.
Taking over the helm from Saunders are Dr. David Enfinger and Dr. Patrick Le in their new practice – MobilityRX Physical Therapy.
Enfinger and Le bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them. Dr. Enfinger earned both his Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Southern California, one of the nation’s top-ranked physical therapy programs. He is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, fellowship trained in musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging and Certified in TPI golf screening.
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Saunders hands key over to Dr. David Enfinger
Dr. Le brings a strong background in post-surgical rehab, strength and conditioning and athletic recovery. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from the University of St. Augustine in 2023. He holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in clinical movement science from California State University, Fullerton. His educational background has prepared him to deliver evidence-based physical therapy for a wide range of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.
Together they provide personalized one-on-one care focused on movement, strength and long-term wellness. Soon, they will be hiring a female physical therapist to join their team.
“They started in March,” Saunders said. “It’s been a great transition. Working for me for the past six months, they’ve seen how we treat and interaction with patients – how we hug. We have such an interesting and loving rapport with our patients.”
Saunder’s practice offers one-on-one treatment, so patients are only seeing a therapist, not an aide, and this is what she wanted to continue with the new owners. “It’s the quality of care and being seen by a therapist. I feel very blessed to have found people who wanted to do it the way that we have done it for so long,” she said.
In addition to Saunders, the women who populated this unique practice were Office Manager Lisa Gallas (who has been with Saunders for 17 years and will continue with the new practice) and Physical Therapist Mimi Bialek along with Physical Therapy Assistant Cindy Maul, who have already moved on. “In March, Cindy retired and then Mimi followed suit,” Saunders said.
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Lisa Gallas will continue as office manager
Gallas is an extraordinary asset that, in this case, will come along with the practice. She knows everyone by name and is usually the instigator of the previously mentioned “hugs.” “Lisa will offer wonderful continuity,” Saunders said.
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Stephen and Tommy Davy preserve the magic and legacy of violins, guitars and gypsy jazz
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
There’s something extraordinary about the two businesses housed at 1390 S. Coast Highway – Stephen R. Davy Violins. Perhaps “businesses” doesn’t properly describe them. Part museum and part workshop, the space is shared by Stephen Davy and Tommy Davy, a father and son duo dedicated to preserving the legacies of violins and guitars.
Stephen, a violin specialist, not only builds violins he provides services that include restoration, adjustments, instrument rentals, bow rehair, appraisals and valuations.
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(L-R) Stephen and Tommy among their musical artifacts
DjangoGuitars USA, Tommy’s endeavor, is home to the largest private collection of posters, records and instruments related to Django Reinhardt and gypsy music. He maintains an archive of original parts, tooling and artifacts from the Selmer-Maccaferri workshop, 1932-1951. A professional gypsy guitar player, Tommy has a passion for carrying on the legacy of gypsy music.
“We wanted to create a place that felt like a shop in Europe, a meeting place of musicians and professionals who really loved the music,” Tommy said. “Of course, there’s the work that has to be done, but there are places my dad and I visited in France with almost nothing for sale, the guitar makers lived upstairs, and they were gathering places.”
Tommy named his showroom after Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and composer Django Reinhardt who lived most of his life in France. Widely known for playing the guitar with only two fingers (he suffered burns over half his body in an accident); he was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most significant exponents. Reinhardt’s most popular compositions have become standards within gypsy jazz.
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Historic building on South Coast Highway
Even the building, which the Davys took over two years ago as their shop, has an intriguing history and has been in the family since 1946.
“After coming here to take care of an elderly relative, my grandfather, Richard Challis, decided to start a business with the money he brought over from England. He fought in World War II in Africa and London,” Tommy said. Having had enough of Europe after he contracted malaria and experienced the bombing blitz – among other things – Challis moved to Laguna Beach.
Roughly three years after arriving in California from England, Challis purchased a building at 1390 S. Coast Highway which became Laguna Studio Gallery. It was built in 1920, and in its early days was a church. The gallery officially opened its doors in 1950 as the first commercial art gallery in Laguna and was renamed Challis Galleries in 1966.
The name Challis may sound familiar, Tommy’s mother is Diane Challis-Davy, long-time director/producer of the Pageant of the Masters.
Challis Galleries showcased the work of California watercolorists and regional artists. The gallery held regular exhibitions with Richard Challis as the director until his retirement in 1984.
It’s fitting that it was an art gallery, since it now houses musical works of art.
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Stephen busy in his workshop
Stephen comes from the East Coast and owned Stephen R. Davy Violins in D.C. “I’m from Washington, D.C. – originally from upstate New York,” he said.
One of his early musical influences was seeing Charlie Byrd play in Washington, D.C.
“I came here to Laguna in 1981 for the first time to visit a friend from the military, Rick Lang of Lang Photography. I went to Vietnam and after Vietnam I met Rick.” Some 11 years later Stephen came to visit and see what life was like in Laguna. He loved it and soon returned to D.C. to close his violin business and settle in Laguna. “I came here with almost nothing and worked for Warren Imports.”
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Enich Harris and Ben Warner of CFMF believe in the transformative power of film and storytelling
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world,” said well-known story mentor Robert McKee. Storytelling is as old as humanity itself and is said to date back 17,000 years.
The co-founders of the Coast Film & Music Festival (CFMF), Enich Harris and Ben Warner, are passionate about the power of storytelling in film and its capacity to unite viewers. “We believe exceptional films possess the transformative ability to reshape the world.”
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(L-R) Enich Harris and Ben Warner take a breather from their busy schedules
For the seventh year, from November 1-9, the CFMF will be celebrating the outdoor spirit, adventure, conservation, personal triumph and iconic musical performers (and for the first time, CFMF will present live concerts at the iconic Irvine Bowl, entertainment TBA).
“Visitors come to the CFMF, which covers a wide variety of outdoor sports – surfing, skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding – to be entertained, but that’s just part of it,” Warner said. CFMF’s mission is to use film and story to unify people through their love for nature and the outdoors.
“We want to leave visitors with a lasting message – taking care of these places that are so beautiful and give us the opportunity to do these amazing things, whether it’s getting dropped off in a helicopter on top of a mountain or snowboarding, or going to some remote place on the planet,” said Harris. “As stewards of our planet, we need to take care of those places.”
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Cooling off on a hot day
Although both Harris and Warner live in Laguna and have long been into outdoor activities, how they came to create the Coast Film & Music Festival is a serendipitous tale.
Harris worked for Arnette, Billabong, Fox and is co-founder of Caddis Eye Wear and executive producer of Surf Madness and Kissed by God.
After moving here from Colorado and spending his entire career in the publishing industry, Warner started Firebrand Media and Laguna Magazine with Steve Zepezauer. “Steve and I partnered together to build that, and I was selling ads to local businesses. I was also a sponsor of the Newport Beach Film Festival because I was owner of Newport Beach Magazine.” He was trying to get various events started here and dabbled in a few endeavors such as the Green Festival.
“Enich works in the surf industry,” Warner said. “He grew up here and I grew up in the mountains. We have very different tribes, but we agreed on the idea of coming together through story and using the power of film as a vehicle for change.”
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Boys just gotta have fun
Warner and Harris had met casually but never really connected until they were both working on a project in Jackson Hole, Wyo.
“A long time ago, we worked in a similar industry and first met each other when he worked at Arnette and I worked at Snowboarder Magazine,” Warner said. “It turns out many years later we were in Jackson Hole at the same time. I had a business relationship with a company called Teton Gravity Research based there. Enich was producing a film with them – the movie Kissed by God – and I had been working with them on other projects.”
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Ben Young, an artist free of time and boundaries
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Local artist Ben Young’s journeys around the globe have given him a rare perspective for creating art – one that balances tradition and realism with experimentation.
“There’s a lot of inspiration in traveling,” Young said. “It’s easier to create when you have the stimulation of different cities, visuals, cultures and ways of living.”
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Ben Young divides his time between New Jersey and Laguna
As described, in his Power Animals series (currently at Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art), he reimagines the essence of wildlife through a blend of realism and abstraction. Each painting celebrates the strength, spirit and symbolism of animals.
Using color blocking, distinct sections of a canvas are filled with flat, bold colors, often with contrasting or complementary hues. This approach emphasizes shapes and forms through color rather than subtle gradations or detailed shading, bringing the subjects to life.
“This series is somehow driven by it [color blocking],” he said. “It started with a cat and evolved into many other things. With the shark the colors in front are complementary to what block is in the back. I just delivered a larger one to the VFA Gallery in New York.”
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The Shark is part of Young’s Power Animals series on display at the Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art (LGOCA)
Although he’s lived in Laguna for 34 years – his three boys (twins Sam and Jake, 26, and youngest son Jude, 19) went through the LBUSD system – Young isn’t rooted in one place all the time. (His wife Kimberly is here in Laguna with Jake; Sam and Jude live in L.A.) Young currently divides his time between the East Coast and the West Coast – three weeks there, one week here. He has studios in New Jersey and Laguna Beach, and exhibits his work locally at Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art (LGOCA), at VFA Gallery in New York and the Covet Gallery in San Diego (on a show-by-show basis).
Young has nothing but praise for Bridgette Shaw, owner of LGOCA, and the way she curated her gallery.
According to Shaw, “I grew up in this town and have gone to all of our fine schools. I have owned this gallery nine years, but I represented artists prior to that time.” Shaw admitted that she used to paint (and even participated in the Sawdust), but her real passion is supporting artists.
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The colors in the Jaguar painting seem to vibrate off each other and elicit the feeling of being stalked
“My artists are not only ‘top of the line talented,’ they are truly kind individuals. It is important since there is trust involved in this business,” she said. “I support them 100% and they return that support. The artists who are within driving distance make it to Art Walk night to speak to people visiting, to share artist trade secrets with each other or play guitar! It is a true artist family with new artists added to the mix. I love what I do and bringing artists and clients together is why I do it.”
Young came from a long line of artists – his father, grandmother and grandfather. Born in New York City, Young carried on the tradition and has spent his lifetime immersed in art. After graduating from Otis College of Art & Design, he developed a practice rooted in realism, composition and color theory, while pushing into abstraction with bold color and personal techniques.
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Hedy Buzan and the alchemy of making art
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Longtime Sawdust Art Festival and previous Festival of Arts exhibitor Hedy Buzan was once asked to describe her art in one sentence – her reply was, “I make abstracted landscapes where the colors talk to one another.”
Add to that discourse the viewer’s emotional reaction to the painting and the result is a magical conversation in which the observer is a participant.
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Artist Hedy Buzan has exhibited 35 years at the Sawdust
If you’ve seen one of Buzan’s landscapes, it’s evident her assessment is true – there’s an inherent narrative – but her work has recently evolved into producing I Ching drawings, an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics.
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A few of Buzan’s landscapes in her booth at the Sawdust
Buzan is currently working on the two-year city grant (2024-2025) Creating Pathways: Codifying New Approaches to Abstraction which combines her own creative work and the development of a curriculum for teaching abstract image making. That prompted research into I Ching, and thus far, she’s completed half of the 64. “Part of my grant was to expand my own research, but the other part was to develop some sort of methodology,” she said.
“It will be the drawings, but I’ve also been doing painting as part of the grant,” she said. “I’m trying to transition from artwork that has a sort of mid-century feel to artwork more postmodern. One of the things that’s interesting is that I work from high to low art.” (By definition, working from “high to low” in art, often refers to a methodical approach to creating artwork, particularly in visual arts like painting and drawing. It involves establishing the overall structure and feel of the piece before delving into intricate details.)
As part of the grant, Buzan is also giving a human-interest general education lecture on abstraction at the Susi Q on October 23.
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Two of Buzan’s I Ching drawings in black and white
“One of the books I read for my grant compared art making to alchemy,” said Buzan. “I love that metaphor because you’re taking these materials and transmuting them. You’re doing something almost magical and mystical which brings me back to the I Ching drawings. On the surface a solid line or a broken line can have meaning that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s the alchemy of bringing the human experience into it. I always tell people when I talk that anything you look at – the most photo real realistic painting that you see – is highly abstract because it’s just one surface and it’s got paint on it and it’s just a bunch of clues. Because we’re so forgiving as viewers, we will say that’s Main Beach but it’s not Main Beach, it’s a colored surface.”
Buzan is intrigued by watercolors and how many factors affect the outcome. “Watercolor is so interesting because it’s how you hold your brush, how much water is on your brush, the angle that you interact with the brush. Even the quality of one cobalt blue versus another manufacturer’s cobalt blue – it’s very interesting.”
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Doug Schulein offers a smorgasbord of services in newly expanded Laguna Health Club
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Laguna Health Club owner and exercise physiologist, Doug Schulein, described the recent expansion of his gym as an opportunity to be imaginative again. “I want it to be a soup to nuts facility,” he said.
Schulein – who started as a trapeze artist with Club Med at the age of 19 and at one point owned four gyms – knows a bit about creativity. Having weathered the effects of the 2008 recession and the pandemic on personal training and gym membership, he’s had to be resilient and resourceful.
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Doug Schulein has owned Laguna Health Club for 20 years
Serving the community for more than 55 years, Laguna Health Club, the oldest gym in Laguna Beach, recently doubled their original space. The expansion, which was finished over the 4th of July weekend, allowed Schulein to offer additional services and amenities.
Cultivating a demographic that runs from 13 years old to 90 years old – and everywhere in between – is no easy task. As a result, this isn’t the only renovation Schulein has done.
“I redesigned the existing gym 10 years ago,” he said. “The space had to be multifunctional with as few single-use pieces of equipment as possible. Then five years ago during COVID, we redid the flooring,” he said. They also pulled out three pieces of equipment because it was too congested for COVID guidelines. “After the pandemic, I left them out because the flow was so much better. There’s always a battle between too much equipment and better flow – and right now the flow is good.”
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Expansion allows for private workout spaces
In addition to being the oldest gym in Laguna, the facility is unique in other ways; members (over 18 years of age) have 24/7 access – great for night owls, early risers and travelers who can’t sleep. Members also have access to personal trainers, a stretch lab (Stretch 101) with stretch therapists, massage therapists and small group classes.
“Before this recent expansion, the goal was to keep the gym as functional as possible (with the limited area). We didn’t have a dedicated floor space to be creative,” Schulein said. However, now, with the addition of space equal to the original gym, he can initiate innovative ideas. “We’re doing small classes and trying to hybridize services. We’re going to play around with combinations of classes everyone loves, for example a blend of Pilates and yoga.”
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The original space is filled with multipurpose equipment
How did Schulein translate his skill as a trapeze artist into a fitness club owner in Laguna?
“I’ve owned gyms since 1995, first House of Fitness in Corona del Mar which is still there. I bought Body Tone, our competition in Corona del Mar. Then I opened Body Tone in Anaheim Hills,” Schulein said, explaining his first wave of gym ownership. “But I was sort of burning out and I was going to leave the business and try to figure out what I was doing next.”
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