This last week brought heavy rains and with the runoff, tons of trash from upland Orange County areas.  This happens every year, and every year there is always a media freakout about what to do, and every year the people have taken care of the problem within days– not the government.  But alas, we are having this same media freakout once …

Christmas on Balboa Island, 1950 It doesn’t look much different than it does today, does it? Do you remember any of these shops?

I know the struggles of dining out on Christmas when you aren’t in the midst of a mega-sized family reunion. To help people of different faiths and those with distant families, I’ve made a few phone calls for you, both to the traditional “Chinese Food Christmas” places, and to other local establishments.  This year even some of our mainstay Chinese …

The Newport Beach Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting roving DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints Friday, Dec 23rd at an undisclosed location in Newport between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. DUI Checkpoints are claimed to reduce drunk driving mostly by deterrent, but also serve to actively arrest those who are driving under the influence.  They also cause significant traffic delays, so …

Hold on to your seats, because this year’s 108th annual Boat Parade is going to be a doozy!  For those planning to travel on the Balboa Peninsula, please consider carpooling, Ubers, and/or arriving early, as traffic and parking are always problematic for this event. Here are the schedules to plan your parking around: DATES: December 14, 2015 – December 18, 2015 TIMES: 6:30 pm …

King Tides are coming to Newport Beach, bringing the highest tides of the entire year– tomorrow. So far, even the largest tides have measured 6’6 (above 0.0ft — standard sealevel).  Tomorrow morning at 7:46am and Wednesday at 8:30am, they will be 6feet, 9.6 inches.  While that small increase doesn’t sound like much, it could breach some areas of our seawall or send docks floating off …

Every year around wintertime, I create a batch or two of hard apple cider.  Each year I do it a little bit differently, but it always turns out fantastic.  There are many rumors that you can go blind from homebrew, but that’s only if you distill it (which is illegal) improperly (which is dumb).  The most dangerous that consuming fermenting …

At the fire station on Balboa Island, the Bomb Squad was called at around 3pm after someone dropped off something resembling a pipe bomb they found floating (presumably in the bay).  Currently the entire area is taped off.  Does anyone have any additional information on this?  Story will be updated as new information comes in. CORRECTION: An earlier report incorrectly …

It’s that time of year again!  Recognized as a “can’t-miss” local event and recently hailed as “one of the top ten holiday happenings in the nation” by The New York Times, this year’s 108th annual Boat Parade is truly a magical holiday tradition enjoyed annually by everyone in and around Newport Beach’s beautiful Harbor. For those planning to travel on the Balboa Peninsula, please …

Death, taxes, and war.  The three inevitabilities of human existence.  On this day just 75 years ago, Pearl Harbor was attacked in what was to become the US’s most highly publicized entrance into World War II. We all know the story well: The Japanese bombed our Pacific fleet without any warning.  But did you know that the US actually struck first?  Just …