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COASTAL BREEZE - August-September, Volume 3 Issue 5

CALENDAR

Wednesdays ART WITH A TWIST—5:30 pm-8 pm—Wilma’s Patio Contact: Carole Boller @949.433.1400 or e-mail
Saturday September 6 Taste of Balboa Island Dinner—Beek Center—5-8 pm ALL WELCOME
Sunday September 7 Corona del Mar Coastline Car Classic Big Corona State Beach, CDM, 10:00 am—4:00 pm
September 19-21 First Annual Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival– Civic Center http://www.newportwineandfood.com
Saturday October 11 Art in the Park—Newport Beach Civic Center 10:00 am—4:00 pm Civic Center
Weds December 17– 21 106th Annual Christmas Boat Parade
Sunday December 7 Christmas Tree Lighting—Fun for the Whole Family 4 pm BI Fire Station
Sunday December 14 Holiday Home Tour—11 am—4 pm
Saturday April 25, 2015 25th ANNUAL BALBOA ISLAND—ALL ISLAND GARAGE SALE 7:30 am—3 pm


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Many individuals have passed away during the 20 years I have been writing this publication.  None have touched me as much as the death of Robin Williams yesterday.  He was truly a child of my generation—the 60s the 70s the 80s and beyond.  Almost every movie he made was a reflection of our changing society—Vietnam, Drugs, Being Gay in a Straight Society, and the problems with our Medical Establishment.  He was one of two actors—along with his roommate Christopher Reeve—who was accepted into the prestigious advanced Julliard School of Acting.  They remained lifelong friends until Reeve’s death in 2004. 
I loved his stand up comedy, his laugh, his manic humor, his movies and once I actually saw him at Verizon in Fashion Island. He patiently waited like everyone else even though he had a chance to move to the front of the line.  He never thought of himself as special—though he was. 
I pray his death will bring to focus the mental issues surrounding alcohol and drug addiction.  If it saves just one other life because of awareness—it was almost, but not quite, worth it!


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SHOOTING THE BREEZE

WE have belonged to ‘Nextdoor’ in the Bluffs for over a year—what a great invention that is.  Nextdoor is a free, private, problem solving , social network for local communities.  You belong based on where you live—although I can also see One Ford Road, Big Canyon, etc.
Nextdoor unites me and other neighbors—some I know, some I don’t know.  It has been a way to get to know what is going on—what is for sale (or free)—to find lost pets (or claim them)— to recommend and get recommendations for various tradesmen—all crowd sourced by your neighbors. 
If there is an accident which blocks a street—those of us on Nexdoor know immediately.  When there is a prowler in the our neighborhood and thieves in Dover Shores it quickly shows up.  As a result the neighbors are more vigilant and most of the perpetrators are caught—or at least disappearing from now wary neighborhoods.
I have seen lost pets returned to their owners, large pieces of furniture sold or given away locally, City Hall Meetings posted, postings looking for work for someone known locally as a babysitter or nanny, etc. etc. etc.
There is the occasional rant—as pointed out in the Daily Pilot— someone usually quickly points out that is not the purpose of Nextdoor.  You can set your page to only receive alerts and omit the other chatter.
Balboa Island, Balboa Peninsula, Corona del Mar and Lido Island would benefit from Nextdoor as One Ford Road, Big Canyon, Dover Shores and others already have.  We all have definite Boundaries and we are changing our demographics with the loss of many of our Greatest Generation who were home to watch our neighborhood while we worked and played.  You can also connect with other local neighborhoods if you wish!
More people would have known when George Bush visited and I got all kinds of calls asking why there were Secret Service people and blacked out SUVs entering Balboa Island one winter day.  Through a process of elimination (Obama was in Washington), I figured it out, but it would have been fun to post it on Nextdoor after the fact.  A lot of things happen on Balboa Island that could be fun or important to know.
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One of our neighbors spotted a NB Police Car that looked like a Lamborghini and posted a comment about the wealth of our Police Department on Nextdoor.  Here is the posting from the NB Police Chief:
Hello Deanna, and thanks for noticing! Actually, the car is a Lamborghini and is owned by a Newport Beach resident who loaned it to the NBPD for some fun, publicity photos and events. The owner had it “wrapped” in a Black and White police trim, and during the photo shoot we temporarily installed a light bar similar to those on real police vehicles. We had a lot of fun with it, but today it was traveling to the detailer to have the graphics removed. The car did turn a few heads in the past few days!
Drive safe - David McGill, Deputy Chief NBPD
Nextdoor can be informative and entertaining .

FROM THE HUMPHREY’S TEAM . . . . . PATTY & BARBARA

Longtime BI mother/daughter real estate team, Patty and Barbara Humphreys would like to congratulate Trattoria restaurant owners Ellie and Sean on the purchase of a beautiful new home.  After many wonderful dinners at the Trattoria, we became friends and realtors for this special family .
Another congrats to the Shepherds on their new home.  We love having you here finally and permanently.
It was great visiting recently with Pat Haviken and Bob and Bev Childs.  They look terrific and it is always fun reminiscing about old Island Times. Don Humphreys used to play volleyball with Bob in front of the Child’s home on North Bayfront.  The younger Humphreys children learned to swim at Ruby Beach.  I still swim in the bay—current temp is 73 degrees.
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On a family note, congratulations to Sam—CDMHS Class of 2014


   HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!!

Patty and Barbara have been serving Balboa Island since 1965.  They know lots of people and properties and are extremely knowledgeable and down to earth.  They presently have a few pocket listings on Balboa Island, a good investment listing on the peninsula and an upcoming lease listing in Irvine Terrace.  They are also looking for anchored commercial properties in Orange County.  Please give them a call for any real estate needs.

Patty and Barbara Humphreys
  Harcourt Prime Properties
949.610.3497    BRE #01462414


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TAX TIPS FROM RUDY . . . . . . RUDY BARON, CPA
Many Balboa Island residents are the beneficiaries of a non-grantor trust, such as a bypass trust created on the death of a spouse. Often, they have not been informed that the income tax rates on non-grantor trusts reach the highest level at only $11,950, meaning that very modest trusts will bear a heavy tax burden.
The surest way to minimize the impact of the high trust tax rates is to distribute net investment to the beneficiaries. Those distributions will be taxable to the beneficiaries but will be taxed at the beneficiaries’ individual tax rate rather than the high trust tax rate.
The trustee of the trust should consider making distributions before year-end to allow the taxable income to be taxed to the beneficiary as 2014 income and allowing the trust to take an offsetting deduction of the income distributed in 2014.
As an alternative, an election can be made to distribute the income in early 2015, within 65-days following the end of the year. Such a distribution is treated as made in 2014. The trust will be able to take a deduction on 2014 taxes.
The proper timing for trust distributions is critical. The beneficiaries overall tax situation must be considered to provide for the maximum tax benefit.

Rudy Baron and his wife Suzy reside on Little Balboa Island. His office is at 901 Dover Drive, Suite 200, Newport Beach, CA.(949)640-0588


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CORNY JOKES . . .  . . . . SUSAN SHERBERT
  FALL CORNY JOKES


What are the two things you should always pack for a family reunion?
Family TIES and your favorite GENES.

Where did the family get stuck on their first day vacation?
In a tourist TRAP near a Travel Lodge

How did the family end up in a Motel 6?
Because it was the last RESORT

http://www.CornyJokeBooks.com
http://www.FunHappyEnjoy.com
(Susan’s Corny Joke Book Is Now Available on Kindle)

MARSHALL STEELE. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. CAROLYN CARR
Marshall was born in my home town of Detroit Michigan.  He grew up in Flint and escaped first to the University of Michigan and then to the Marine Corps in 1967.  He loved Camp Pendleton even though he was deployed from there to Vietnam. 
His stories of Vietnam were intriguing to me—I had spent those years on a college campus and then as a young mother.  Anti-war was the theme I heard the most.  When he told me that the snipers were all South Vietnamese I was astounded.  Why?  The farmers hired them to kill Americans who were ruining their livelihood—their crops.  The North Vietnamese stayed deep in the jungle.  A terrible war no matter what—and one that caused a great rift in our country. 
When Marshall was in the Balboa Island Parade in June—it was the first time he was honored as a serviceman.  When he arrived home from Vietnam, there were no parades, no happy homecomings—and no jobs in Flint.  He returned to California where he decided he would never do anything he didn’t want to do again. 

Marshall was hired by the Windward Sailing Club after the war.  Most sail boats were made in Hong Kong at that time.  He would bring the finished yachts to California from Hong Kong and make sure they were ready for their owners.  He also crewed on several Trans Pac Races. 
Marshall had briefly studied Restaurant Management at the University of Michigan.  Here in California he was hired by the Broadway—to manage their busiest restaurant—in Huntington Beach, where he stayed for 8 years as he worked his way up to Regional Manager.
After the Broadway he worked at the Quiet Woman and Captain’s Anchorage Steak House. And then free lancing for various restaurateurs in Newport Beach including Bill Hamilton and Art Gronsky. 
The 24-hour a day restaurant business eventually put a strain on his marriage, so Marshall moved on to the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce where he ran their Special Events and created the Taste of Newport. At the same time he became involved in Newport Harbor and helped start the Harbor Commission.  Boats, the sea and boating have always been his passion.

For 22 years Marshall was married to the love of his life, Dana—the woman of his dreams.  She was, in his words, a ‘21st Century Woman’.  He lost her after a battle with cancer 4 years ago.  And misses her every day!!

When I met Marshall he was Facility Director for the Museum located on the Reuben E Lee. That ended amicably when it moved to the Fun Zone and his expertise for boat repair was no longer needed.

Marshall is full of information about Newport Beach History. He has lived here for a long time and should write a book.  Did you know City Hall used to be located in the upper floors of the Pavilion.  The City Fathers traveled back and forth to Washington DC—a one month trip at the time —to petition for grants—for the Pier, for the Jetty, and for the Grammar School still located on the Balboa Peninsula on donated land. . 
Marshall has a business doing marine maintenance As the economy has slowed down, and people defer maintenance on their yachts and sailboats Marshall has added another career.
He also is Events Coordinator for Classic Yacht Excursions.  It seems he has spent his life figuring out ways to wine and dine the residents of and visitors to Southern California and Newport Beach.  He will help you rent a Yacht or Sailboat for the day, http://www.classicyachtexcursions.com Call him and book a fun day for you and your family and friends. For as little as $70/person.  949.244.3031 And maybe he will throw in a few interesting stories about Newport Beach! 


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DO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEED A
FABULOUS CAREGIVER???
HIS NAME IS EDGAR QUINTANELLA
EDGAR COOKS—Healthy Food That Tastes Great
EDGAR LIVES ON BALBOA ISLAND—Close by if you
Don’t Need Someone to Live In.
EDGAR HAS A DRIVER’S LICENSE
EDGAR IS DEPENDABLE!
EDGAR is a C Nurse with Experience Handling
People who are Bipolar or who have other
Mental Disorders
Edgar spent 9 Years with Maybelle Jennings—Jim
says she would not have lived that long without
his healthy meals and superb care!
CALL EDGAR AT 714.606.2437 and be Amazed


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THOMAS SURI . . . . . MY WINDOW WASHER

I met Thomas Suri several years ago when I lived on Balboa Island.  I needed my windows cleaned and the person I was using always missed a window—or two!  As a person who owned a House Cleaning business, I often needed to recommend someone who was thorough. That’s when Thomas appeared in my life.

Thomas Suri was born in Dover, Delaware.  His father was in the Air Force.  When he was discharged the family relocated to Fitchburg, Massachusetts—40 minutes from Boston.  Thomas’ grandfather was in the oil business—the oil delivery business, standing outside in the freezing winter weather filling residential tanks.  In 1991, after graduation from college, Thomas felt the call of the warm Southern California weather as an alternative to working for his father—who had now inherited the oil business.

Thomas came to California without a car—with only a skateboard and a 10-speed for transportation—for the first 2 years.  He worked for Hornblower Yachts, Delaney’s, Newport Ski Company, the Marriott Hotels, the Tennis Courts on the Balboa Peninsula, the Hyatt Hotels and finally the Balboa Bay Club.  For the most part it was waiting tables, bar-tending and even being the “Barbecue Guy” at Dukes Place at the old Newporter Hotel!  He was promoted quickly in the bar-tending industry when it was discovered how honest he was—he turned all the tips in at the end of his shift and made a huge impression with the boss!

The last ‘real job’ he had was as office manager for the Tennis Academy at the Balboa Bay Club.  Doing their scheduling and billing.  And teaching Tennis—always teaching tennis!!

In 2000 Thomas inherited a window washing business when his friend went to Alaska for the summer.  Then another friend told him about the ‘Island Breeze’ and the advertising, coupled with his quality, increased his business.

In 2004 Thomas began to have back issues which culminated in moving back to Boston to have back surgery near his family at the Wellsley Hospital .  He had a wonderful doctor.  A friend of his had done research looking for a back doctor in 7 states and ended up at Wellsley.  The operation was successful and Thomas thought he might end up staying in Boston.  He even played golf and tennis during the winter months of 2011—2012.

In 2013 winter returned to the East Coast and Thomas found out he really wasn’t cut out for the 167” of snow and freezing cold.  Back to California—and windows and warm weather. With his healed back—I no longer look in his eyes and see pain—he has returned to a successful window cleaning business.  And enjoying it.  I also have my friend back Welcome Back Tom!!  949.533.2469


WEIRD FACT OF THE DAY

According to a study by the Purina Pet Institute, 43 % of dog owners celebrate their dogs’ birthdays, while 29 % celebrate their cats’  birthdays.
Maybe not so weird —I celebrated my dog’s birthdays for many, many years—they even wore their little birthday hats on the Boardwalk—and were proud of it!  Maybe that speaks to my weirdness!!  But it was lots of fun!!! 


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EVEN WEIRDER FACT OF THE DAY

(First Heard from my Postal Lady—and I thought she was kidding)
The Majority in the House of Representatives would like to end Saturday mail delivery to fund needed infrastructure repairs.   The House Majority likes this idea, because it’s a budget cut. But the savings would replenish the Highway Fund for only one year. And the Post Office already faces a cash shortfall, thanks to declining use of traditional mail and arcane rules that require the postal service to pre-fund its pension obligations.
The Post Office already tried to end Saturday delivery in order to balance its books—until Congress, in March, passed a resolution prohibiting the post office from doing so. Now House members want to allow that five-day delivery schedule.  In effect, they’d be buying a one-year reprieve on the Highway Fund shortfall by taking away the money that the Postal Service needs to cover its operations.

MMMMM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CAROLYN L CARR
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RITTER’S STEAM KETTLE COOKING. 

Mike had been bugging me for months to try this ‘Cajun’ restaurant. I don’t like spicy and I don’t like leaving Newport Beach—so it was only for Mike’s 65th Birthday that I agreed to go.
What a wonderful surprise it was.  Best oysters I have ever had in Southern California—Cold, Plump and Fabulous tasting.  Mike enjoyed the molasses-marinated bacon wrapped shrimp!
Our main courses was the pan roast, a tomato based jambalaya soup with a scoop of rice in the middle— with a choice of spicy from 1-10.
For dessert try the Beignets—or for a real treat the rum soaked bread pudding.  They should need a liquor license with that much rum in the desert sauce.  It is yummy!!
We got there early because we are all seniors and bed quickly beckons, however, when we left there were 30 young people standing outside waiting, a sure sign that the restaurant is a tremendous hit —even without alcohol!
Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking 1421 MacArthur Blvd. Suite G, Santa Ana, 714.850.1380 http://www.rittersskc.com


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THE DESSERT LAB. 

OMG—If love could be translated into food—it would be the desserts found at the Dessert Lab.  Next to Capriotti’s on MacArthur Blvd, we stumbled in here after dinner and brought the lemon bar, the chocolate tart with sea salt and a peanut butter and jelly cookie to go. 
I’m so glad we brought them home—we would have probably eaten everything in the bakery case if we had stayed. 
We mentally licked our lips for hours—and even though I am trying not to eat sugar it isn’t a place I would be able to resist.  Love is in every bite and I’ll fight you for it!!
The Dessert Lab, 4221 MacArthur Blvd., Suite B4. Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.300.6016 http://www.thedessertlaboc.com


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HONEY DO’S

I love seeing Mike McCluer of Island Lights. It reminds me of the prompt fabulous work he does with a smile on his face at Christmas time— hanging all the beautiful lights.
Now you can see him all year long doing
GENERAL HOME REPAIR—Electrical, Carpentry including (termite/wood rot, rough/finish, fence/gate repair), plumbing, concrete, general clean up/hauling and demo.
Let Mike help you!  Call him @949.903.9018


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CHRISTMAS IS COMING—SOONER THAN YOU THINK—MIKE WILL BE WORKING AT ISLAND LIGHTS WITH DAMON BURRIS!  CALL THEM SOON AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT!  949.307.8613 and 949.903.9018




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This image of a boat in our Harbor Celebrating the end of Prohibition - sponsored by the Village Inn - sent to me by Greg Topper!
Thanks Greg!



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Beautiful Craftsmanship from KAMPS ISLAND FLOORING—LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile), Refinished Oak
& Mike’s 65th Birthday Picture


TIP FOR THIS MONTH—LVT is the Hottest Selling Product Right Now—Looks Like Wood, Impervious to Water and Will Hide the Stone Floor Without Removing It!!


KAMPS ISLAND FLOORING
711 West 17th Street
Unit H-5
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949.675.3456
NEW!! http://www.kampsislandflooring.com



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We have a NEW PRIVATE FLOOD CARRIER now available on Balboa Island and Newport Beach..
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BETTER RATES THAN EVER
 
This is not the NFIP (FEMA) or NCIP ( Natural Catastrophe Insurance Program)

It’s new and the RATES are GREAT!

No Elevation Certificate Required
 
$250,000 building coverage allowable regardless of
replacement cost! No surcharges imposed!
 
Policy issued by A rated Lloyd’s Carrier
CALL TODAY FOR A QUOTE

855.225.3566


http://www.californiafloodinsurance.com

4772 Marlborough Drive Fax 858-227-0850
San Diego, CA 92116 CA Lic# 0H34700
Toll Free (855) CAL-FLOOD (225-3566)


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