“We acknowledge that our students have a lot of demands on them,” said Jason Parks, vice president of academic affairs. “They’re working and they have familial responsibilities. When you think about a full load of 30 units a year, that’s four to five classes a semester—a big challenge for students who have a family, plus a job.”

The Hawks Flight Path was created to ease the burden.

Parks conceived of the program, but he is quick to credit a team of colleagues, including faculty and deans, who put it together. “The team got together and really thought it through about how we would work to benefit the students the most. I think it’s really well-designed. The spring is the soft launch for it,” he said. “Next fall we will target incoming freshmen who need all of their prerequisites.”

The first class is in public speaking (Feb. 12–March 24) followed by a class in nutrition (March 25–April 28), and, finally, an introduction to cultural anthropology (April 29–June 9).

“We have knowledge of what classes go well in those shorter times and where students thrive, so we’ll choose those classes (accordingly),” Parks said.

Since the Hawks Flight Path classes will fulfill General Ed requirements, students will be able to put more hours and effort into the classes that are part of their major. This is particularly helpful for students whose majors require a lot of time, for instance, if they must work in a lab.

“They can take those three classes and then take an overlying major’s course, something that they maybe need to spend quite a bit more time on, such as a calculus, chemistry or physics course,” Parks explained.

“The initial thought was let’s target our students who may be pre-nursing or health sciences,” he said. “For those students, the hope is that they would take those three classes and then maybe an anatomy and physiology class that would last the entire term. The amount of time you have to spend in the laboratory is a lot, so we would want to give them that opportunity to spend that laboratory time doing the work that is going to be most pertinent to their career as they move along.”

The plan is also designed to relieve exam stress. Rather than having five final exams at once, exams will be spread out over the semester.

And because the three GE classes are sequential, faculty members will be able to share with each other information about students who may be struggling or those who need more challenge.

“The idea is to create an ecosystem where those faculty members communicate with one another about the students who are incoming, Parks said. “This will be an advantage because most faculty members get students cold. You just walk into your classroom and you need to learn about your students starting on day one. But if one of your colleagues has said, ‘Hey, this group kind of needs help there, and this group is accelerating over here,’ then you’re not walking in cold.”

The ultimate intention of the Hawks Flight Plan is to make it easier for students to stay in college, Parks said. “We know that our most vulnerable students, we don’t lose them at the very end of completing their degree, we lose them at the beginning,” he said. “And so, we want to help them to persist.”

The number of students enrolling for credit programs at Santiago Canyon College recently jumped more than 12%.

“(They are) our target audience, absolutely,” Parks said. “This particular program is going to target more of the traditional college age, which is in the 18 to 24 range, because we are trying to get them in, get their associate degrees and out into a career. Or if they’re looking to transfer, we want to help them to transfer to a university to earn a bachelor’s degree.”

Santiago Canyon College also has a tutoring center that encourages students to support each other in their studies. “I’m just the old guy telling them college is good,” Parks said. “But if their colleagues are telling them that you can do this, and they encourage one another, that’s worth more than I could ever tell a student.”

Other forms of student support at SCC include a basic needs center, a food pantry, and financial aid. “We’re trying to hit them from all angles to make sure that they feel supported and they have everything they need to get through college,” Parks said.

But that attention was not important to Campbell.

“What was big for me was the fact that it was my hometown,” Campbell said. “To be able to be mayor of your hometown, there’s something really special about that. Everybody’s pretty much family and friends to me. And to be able to help people in my community and be mayor of my hometown was the greatest honor.”

Campbell’s family has strong roots in North Orange County, having lived here for more than 35 years. She attended St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Yorba Linda and then Rosary Academy in Fullerton.

She applied to colleges in the spring of 2011 and was accepted at University of Southern California for spring 2012 admission. Taking advantage of the extra time during the summer and fall after high school, Campbell took general education classes at Santiago Canyon College, credits which transferred over to USC.

“I really loved my experience at SCC, and it really set me on a great course for my college career,” she said. “I saved a ton of money and got to stay close to home, too.”

As a sports fan and an athlete, Campbell’s goal was to become a sports journalist. “I got to do that for a little bit, reporting from the sidelines for the football team and the basketball team,” she said. “I really loved that, but I thought I better broaden my journalism experience to something other than sports.”

A summer internship for C-SPAN in Washington, DC, fell through at the last minute, so Campbell scrambled and got another at a bipartisan nonprofit that was trying to get members of Congress to work together.

“We were working on some common sense legislation and thought we were doing all this great work, but then the government shut down. That was in 2013,” she said.

Returning to her hometown she discovered the same gridlock she’d seen in Washington was happening on the local level, too.

“In my hometown of Yorba Linda, our city council was in the midst of a recall. I was like, ‘What is happening in my local hometown? We are a great community.’ I found out that that wasn’t too uncommon for Yorba Linda. We had a number of potential recalls. I realized, ‘OK, if you want to see a change, be part of that change.’”

She decided to get involved and started serving on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission while still in college. She added political science as a major and then went on to get a master’s degree in public administration at USC.

“By going to SCC and getting my GEs done, I was able to start my master’s courses while I was a senior at USC,” she said. “I got my undergrad and master’s at USC in five years.”

She credits Santiago Canyon College for giving her the early boost she needed.

“SCC really set me up for success down the line. It was a huge benefit for me. We have this great institution so close by where you can set your career — not just your education, but your career — in a great trajectory.”

Yorba Linda’s City Council members elect their mayor every year, and Campbell is starting on her eighth year on the council. The job has its challenges and conflicts, she said.

“I’ve tried to lead by example of being a problem solver and being able to engage and talk to everybody and hear all sides so that I can make the best decision for my community,” she explained.

Campbell’s style of leadership has earned the respect of her constituents, even those who don’t agree with her views. And her dedication to Yorba Linda is obvious.

“Yorba Linda is an amazing community because you still have that small-town feel, but you also have all the great amenities. We just built a beautiful, state-of-the-art new public library and cultural art center. We just built a town center. We just built Adventure Playground, which is now year-round.”

Campbell notes with pride that Yorba Linda has a balanced budget and a crime rate far below the average for a U.S. city.

“I might be biased because I’m the mayor, but I think Yorba Linda is a great place to call home, a great place to raise family, and one ranked in the top of the safest cities in California,” Campbell said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that I wanted to come home to this great community and help set it on a great course for generations to come.”

Support for foster youth is critical; roughly two-thirds of foster youth are going to be homeless within the first 12 months of leaving foster care, said Chris Simonsen, CEO of Orangewood Foundation, which helps foster young people develop skills for self-sufficiency.

Young people in California can stay in foster care until they’re 21 if they continue to meet with a social worker, among other requirements. But the challenges they face are daunting.

“The biggest issue is they don’t have that network of adult and family supporters to help them,” Simonsen said.If they’re able to graduate from high school and are accepted at Cal State Fullerton, current and former foster youth can receive a range of support as they step into higher education.

“Aside from providing the scholarship, we may also help with securing housing on campus as some students may not have a place to live once they begin their tenure at the university,” said Felipe Martinez, who coordinates the Guardian Scholars program, which has been replicated in universities throughout California as well as in other states. “We currently support 129 Guardian Scholars.”

Junely Merwin was part of the Guardian Scholar Program during her undergraduate years; she graduated from CSUF with a bachelor’s degree in 2019.

“I entered foster care at the age of 15, cradling my 1-month-old son in my arms, with no family support,” she said. “Throughout the five years I spent in foster care, I navigated through three foster homes, several high schools, and the challenges of attending college while being a teen mom in the system.”

Merwin is on track to achieve her master’s degree in higher education at Cal State Fullerton later this year.

“The Guardian Scholars program is crucial for foster youth due to the unique challenges they face,” Merwin said. “Foster youth have little to no family ties and often lack resources and a community to guide them through higher education and adulthood. These individuals often have a history of trauma and must overcome the challenges associated with both foster care and pursuing higher education. The Guardian Scholars program serves as a vital support system, providing advocacy, guidance, and connections to essential resources.”

Merwin said her journey in foster care was marked by the challenges of dealing with unsupportive foster homes, social workers, and the system itself. But in the midst of this, she encountered adults who believed in and supported her dream of earning a college degree.

“Their encouragement became a driving force behind my determination to secure a good job, providing the stability that my son and I deserved,” she said.

She currently works with a foster youth program at a community college and intends to continue once she graduates.

Becky Wells also credits the Guardian Scholars Program for encouraging her to get her college degree as a young single mom. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2000 and is grateful to Ron Davis, the program’s founder — “I call him my adoptive father,” she said — and Gene Howard, who was at Orangewood Foundation during that time. Both were integral in supporting and encouraging her to continue her education.

“It’s hard to put into words something that I feel so deep in my heart and has impacted my life so profoundly; the program has changed my life and countless others,” said Wells, who now lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband and children. “I appreciate the Guardian Scholar Program not only for the financial assistance I received but also for the lifelong friends I’ve made. It truly is a family.”

The Guardians Scholars Program provides holistic support to foster youth, Martinez said. “It provides an opportunity to level the playing field as much as possible.”

To respect their privacy, students are never asked to share their stories.

“We also provide training to faculty, staff and campus partners, which allows them to learn more about the foster youth population and helps them recognize the impact that this can have on foster youth as they navigate the university,” Martinez said.

Guardian Scholars who’ve gone on to receive master’s degrees have focused on counseling, social work, education and international business, he said.

The Cal State Fullerton staff at the Center for Scholars is passionate about helping foster youth surmount their challenges.

“It is incredibly rewarding to work with students and help them thrive on campus,” Martinez said. “This population of students has been told that statistically they should not be in college, much less have graduated from high school. They are overcoming obstacles, changing statistical narratives and creating opportunities for themselves and those who will come after them.”

Trees beautify landscapes with their stately shapes, greenery and blossoms, but also “they provide shade and coolness,” says Bob Sussman, owner of Matilija Nursery in Moorpark. Shade from a tree canopy can reduce a home’s temperature in the blazing summer sun by 20 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And a shady yard makes it easier for people to spend more time outdoors, especially in warmer months, Sussman adds.

Trees also safeguard the larger ecosystem: Leaves absorb and store carbon dioxide, a process that slows the gas buildup that causes global warming, according to the Nature Conservancy. These same leaves also remove air pollution by absorbing pollutants, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. This is why a group called TreePeople in Los Angeles has made it their mission to plant more than 3 million trees throughout SoCal and to educate the public about their value, maintenance and care.

There certainly can be drawbacks to having trees on your property. If planted too close to a home, roots can get into plumbing lines, or even the foundation. Branches can fall and damage rooftops and gutters. Trees that shed leaves cause extra work for homeowners who prefer neat yards. And some trees, such as the non-native varieties of Eucalyptus, can be a fire hazard, though many trees that are native to California, including the Coast Live Oak and Western Redbud, are known to be fire-resistant.

Still, with proper planning and maintenance, you might find the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Trees native to California

The United States is home to more than 640 distinct species of trees, with almost 200 of those being indigenous species, according to research from the United States Forest Service, but specimens that are native to Southern California come with another benefit: They don’t need much water, which means they are money-saving choices.

“Native trees naturally grow here and survive from the water we get in nature, so you don’t need to do much watering,” Randi Gunder, a landscape designer who runs the landscape division at Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano. Native trees can be effectively incorporated into many landscapes. “And native trees are a great choice if you want to support a habitat for birds and insects that have evolved in the SoCal region,” she says.

California trees such as Coast Live Oaks are considered “keystone species,” meaning that hundreds of insects and birds depend on them for food and shelter, says Tim Becker, director of horticulture at the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley, which sells California native plants and gives classes on how to garden with them.

“A keystone tree is one that if it was removed would cause a pretty big rift in that ecosystem,” Becker adds. “Like the cornerstone of the house, if you took it out, the house would not stand.”

How to choose the right tree

By carefully choosing and planting the right tree, you can reap all these benefits while visually enhancing your property. Some tips:

Location: “First, consider your location,” says Gunder. “Are you on the coast or inland?” Choose trees that are known to thrive in the conditions where you live. Then visit places such as the Fullerton Arboretum, California Botanic Garden in Claremont or the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens to see what trees look like when they are full grown. “I go to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden twice a year,” says Sussman. “I go in spring, which is the best time of year when the trees and plants look good. And I go in August because I want to see plants when they look ratty.”

Big or small? Identify and measure the space you have for a tree. It’s important to check nursery labels that tell a tree’s height and width when it’s full grown — you don’t want surprises. A California Sycamore, for instance, is fast-growing and can reach 30 to 80 feet tall and 20 to 50 feet wide. The more modest-sized Yellow Palo Verde trees work well in smaller spaces since they grow to about 20 feet tall and wide, and they boast delicate yellow flowers.

Check the roots. Make sure trees you like won’t interfere with the foundation of your house, a patio or nearby plumbing, says Sussman. Coast Live Oaks, though large, do not get into water pipes, he says, while California Sycamores can tangle with nearby plumbing.

Consider your landscape style. “Choose a tree that tells your garden story,” says Gunder. “Do you have a desert landscape with gravel? A woodland garden with lots of mulch? Your tree has to fit that story. These factors will narrow your choices to two to three trees.”

Get help. Nurseries such as Tree of Life in San Juan Capistrano, Theodore Payne in Sun Valley and Matilija Nursery in Moorpark have knowledgeable staff who can help you make the right choice. The “Sunset Western Garden Book” includes comprehensive information about every tree in the West. And the website Calscape.org, created by the California Native Plant Society, allows you to input your location and preferences to help you find appropriate trees for your home.

When and how to plant

“October, November and December are the months to plant,” Becker says. “You need to wait until those long periods of high 90s are over to reduce the stress of a new plant.” Then dig a deep hole and fill it with water, he says, and let it drain down completely. “Loosen up the root ball” before planting; a potted tree with very tightly girdled roots may have trouble surviving in the ground, he says. Ask the staff at the nursery how often to water your newly planted tree and follow their directions exactly so that you don’t over- or under-water.

Trees to consider

A deciduous tree can be an ideal choice for a home yard year-round, says Gunder. In the summer, its leaves will provide plenty of shade. “In the winter time, a California deciduous tree such as the California Ash will lose its leaves, allowing sunlight to get through and warm your home. And the leaves provide a wonderful mulch. It has beautiful green foliage which is great for birds and has a nice fragrance,” she adds.

The Western Redbud is a California native that many experts recommend for home landscapes. “It’s a little bit slower in growing but it has a beautiful multi-branch structure,” says Gunder.

Each season its appearance changes. “In the spring, Western Redbuds have bright pink flowers,” Gunder adds. “In the summer, it has large green heart-shaped leaves. In the fall, the leaves change to bright red color then drop their leaves — again this allows sunlight to get into your home and warm it. This is a flowering tree that is great for habitat.”

Though Toyon is a shrub, it can grow to the size of a small tree at 8 feet or higher and produces white flowers followed by clusters of red berries that attract birds.

“The Santa Cruz Island Ironwood is a beautiful, fast-growing evergreen tree with small rose flowers and shedding bark,” says Becker. It is best suited for homes near the coast, he adds.

Another native, the Engelmann Oak, is a moderately fast-growing tree that needs plenty of room. “It has a blue-ish gray silver leaf foliage that is really pretty,” says Gunder. How big it grows depends on your soil. When the soil is mostly clay, the roots can’t grow very big and so neither will the branches, which means it can fit well in a smaller space.

Coast Live Oaks are easy to grow, especially in woodland areas, and can top 80 feet — so big that a garden can be planted beneath them. In fact, says Sussman, “You can plant a lot of shade-loving plants under your trees, which gives you a wider range of plants for your garden. Under shady spots you can plant Heuchera, Columbines, Pacific Coast irises, and Hummingbird Sage, among others.”

“Cypresses work well in hotter climates, especially the Tecate Cypress,” says Becker. “Junipers, cedars and cypresses are all pretty tough trees.” The Tecate Cypress recently has become popular as a small tree for Southern California gardens, according to the California Native Plant Society website.

Where to get free trees

Many cities offer free trees to homeowners. In Anaheim, for example, it’s the TreePower program. Riverside Public Utilities offers rebates to customers who purchase up to five shade trees each year. Also, Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment provides free trees for homes and streets; check their website for the next free tree giveaway. TreePeople also sponsors tree giveaways from time to time.

There, as I sat with other early risers (an older man and his young grandson, a couple in their 20s wearing baseball caps), with a cup of pretty good coffee and a warm croissant, I watched as snow-covered, 14,000-foot Mount Shasta appeared in the early-morning sunlight. The couple pulled out their cellphones to take photos.

I don’t like to fly. So when my husband, Daniel, and teenage son, Charlie, and I planned a vacation week in Seattle to visit some colleges, I was thrilled to discover we could get there by the Amtrak’s Coast Starlight.

The advantages of train over plane – no lines, no stress, no being squeezed elbow to elbow in cramped seats – are obvious, but this 33-hour trip provided more relaxation, entertainment and encounters with nature than any of us expected.

MEETING OTHER TRAVELERS

“I love the train,” said Roger, a retiree from Anaheim who sat with Daniel and me that first night for dinner. “Every year I take this train to visit my daughter in Olympia, Wash.”

When you eat in the dining car, you’re seated with other passengers. I watched with interest as a businessman was seated with two young men with ponytails and they politely began to chat. Likewise, we fell into easy conversation with our tablemate, who looked to be in his mid-70s.

The dining car attendant named our dinner choices – salmon, steak or a Greek salad – and we placed our orders. Surprisingly, vegetarian choices were always available.

“Back in the day,” said Roger, “this train was always very late. But in the last three years, it’s been remarkably on time.”

Turns out, Roger is a member of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, an advocacy group that pushes for a wider rail network and a revival of popular routes.

After dessert (vanilla ice cream or tiramisu), Roger said good night and headed back to his sleeper.

It had been a busy day on the Coast Starlight. A National Park Service representative had come onboard to give a short presentation about the natural surroundings. This is part of the “Trails & Rails” collaboration between the NPS and Amtrak, and we were treated to several such talks from knowledgeable volunteers.

Then there was the afternoon wine tasting given by a crew member in the parlor car, where for $7.50 adults were offered a selection of California and Oregon wines.

The Coast Starlight also had a screening room where “Edge of Tomorrow” was being shown. When I peeked in, all the seats were empty. But the observation car was packed with passengers – a Boy Scout troop on its way to a camping trip in Oregon, families with small kids, couples and groups of friends.

As the train wound up the coast, beachgoers turned to wave, and campsites near Santa Barbara appeared like little villages. Then we passed Pismo Beach, part of the 104-mile stretch of spectacular coastal views.

I needed some water and found this stamped on the side of an Amtrak cup: “Rail consumes less energy than cars or air travel.”

Good to know. By now, though, I didn’t need any more convincing that we’d made the right travel choice.

VIEWS OF THE VALLEY

The Coast Starlight makes this trip between Los Angeles and Seattle just once a day, each way, with more than 25 stops in small towns and large cities (San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento and Portland among others).

At bigger station stops, the train doors remained open for 15 minutes or longer, though the conductor admonished passengers who stepped out to stretch their legs not to wander off. (“On just about every trip, at least one passenger misses the train,” a crew member told me, and another confirmed it – a mistake that usually results in a taxi ride to the next stop costing hundreds of dollars.)

When the train eventually turned inland, the track curled through small mountains and tunnels, then slid through California’s Central Valley, giving passengers views of green fields of produce, vineyards and stands of tall eucalyptus trees, as the sun began to set.

As we rolled into the evening, we passed the silver waters of inlets near Salinas. And then it got dark.

An attendant handily transformed our comfortable sleeping car seats into bunk beds. A shared bathroom and a shower were at the end of the hall. We had opted for two roomettes across the hall from each other, for the sake of comfort.

(Amtrak offers a discount for families traveling for college visits, but only for coach accommodations.)

We settled in happily with our books; Charlie plugged into his iPhone. We fell asleep to the clacking wheels and the intermittent train whistle.

The next day, after traveling out of Northern California, we were treated to vistas of the vast forests, blue-green lakes and river views of the Willamette Valley in Oregon – slicing right through dense, fairy-tale groves of towering pine and cedar trees.

We arrived in Seattle right on time, and were met by friends who drove us through the city. We toured a slew of colleges, explored Pike Place Market and the waterfront, visited friends and walked around the lively Capitol Hill neighborhood.

At the end of the week, we again boarded the train for the long ride home.

We knew what to expect as we settled once again into our seats: hours to wind down, decompress and talk about all we’d done and seen, as the gorgeous West Coast landscapes rolled by our window.

After more than 30 years with Design Tec, she is happy about the economic upturn that has resulted in builders needing her touch in models for these new communities.

We caught up with Canova to find out how she creates interior decor that helps buyers visualize the potential in these homes.

Q. How do you begin to conceptualize the interior design for a model home?

A. A model home is a sales tool for the builder to showcase a successful project. We try to complement the architecture and be mindful of the buyer profile, so when customers walk in, they fall in love and buy a house. The target market drives our decisions about colors, textures, fabric and furniture choices, and the concepts for design. If the home is for young couples who are first-time buyers or move-ups who work in the tech industry, we know they’re going to be contemporary-minded. We get input from vendors who bring us new lines and collections and who understand what millennials, Gen X, Gen Y people look for. We also keep an eye on trends at fabric and furniture shows.

Q.What are younger and older buyers attracted to?

A. In general, young buyers are focused on sustainable materials, flexible design and a cleaner, less cluttered look. They like efficient, smaller spaces and not as much conspicuous consumption as the older generations. They’re more mindful of the planet.

The older market that is downsizing, spends more on upgrades like countertops and built-ins, because they know this may be their last move and they finally want the house they’ve been waiting for. They, too, may want a fresh, contemporary approach, but their focus is a little more on timeless elegance with a nod to tradition.

Q. Do some homebuyers love your design so much that they want to replicate the whole look?

A. Yes, that happens a lot. And statistics show that houses built with models sell quicker.

We had a connection with a marketing director who was trying to sell 800-square-foot units with no success. We stepped in and did a model and she sold 14 units in one weekend. This was after months and months of not great sales! And the buyers wanted the model duplicated. They could visualize how they’d live in the property.

Q. How many model homes do you design for each new community?

A. In large tracts, we normally do three model homes, showcasing different floor plans with different styles. Not every buyer is the same – a young hip couple who are first- time homeowners will want something differ-ent than a young family with children, or buyers who are downsizing. For each kind of buyer, you want the home to feel good.

Two new projects from Irvine-based MBK Homes include Sea House, a community of three-story detached residences with ocean-view rooftop decks in Costa Mesa – targeted to a younger buyer. We made the models look very clean and contemporary, appealing to a young, urban buyer. Another is Jacaranda in Stanton – single-family, detached houses with small patios.

Both are charming infill projects, meaning they were sandwiched within already-existing communities.

Q. Do you follow set rules when designing for different age groups?

A. Any rule can be broken, but it gives you a guideline where to start. MBK is one of our favorite builders because of their wonderful approach to their projects. They’re a young- minded, fun group to work with. They’re not afraid to stretch a little to try Bohemian chic, retro or vintage looks so the homes have a greater appeal to a younger market.

Q. Do you design model homes to look slightly above the income level of customers?

A. You don’t want to so over-design or over- specify to make a home appear so unattainable that it causes people to walk away. But you do want to be somewhat aspirational so that customers say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a cool place, if I just stretch a bit I could have this.’ There is a whole psychology for sales, and we are a part of that big picture.

Wooden boats have a special attraction; many are five, six or seven decades old or older, harking back to a simpler, quieter time.

Yes, these boats require lots of maintenance and care, but most owners embrace that. (“It’s not work; it’s a pleasure,” says Ralph Rodheim, who owns a 1938 Rhodes sailboat.)
For those who can’t resist running a hand along a finely grained hull, one thing leads to another. And that’s where the stories begin, of seeking and finding the wooden boat that was the perfect match.

Black Cloud
owned by Don and Linda Schaffner of Mission Viejo

The 1959 Thistle class sailboat was designed by Sandy Douglas in Sandusky, Ohio. Douglas wanted to build a boat affordable for men and women returning home from World War II, and one that could fit in a small garage, explains Black Cloud owner Don Schaffner. The design was immediately popular, and the boat is still made today, though now it is made with fiberglass. Schaffner is the sailboat’s second owner in 50 years. “I bought the boat in 1971 from Omar Rich in Dayton, Ohio,” he says.

The lure: “Wooden boats can outperform fiberglass boats,” says Schaffner, who started sailing when he graduated from Ohio State in 1969. “Wood does not flex – fiberglass boats over five years old will start to flex and lose their performance.“

Bonus: “Wood boats today that are in good shape are increasing in value,” says Schaffner, who was trained as an engineer. “A wooden boat should last 100 years if you take care of it.”

The upkeep: “I have restored the boat three times – stripped off varnish to take it down to bare wood. It needs seven or eight coats of varnish to protect it from UV sun, which will lighten the wood grain.” Yearly varnish touch-ups keep the boat looking its best, as well as making sure rain doesn’t rot the wood.

Fun fact: “We got it when my wife was pregnant with our first child, and we took our baby directly from the hospital to place him in the boat for a picture, for good luck,” says Shaffner. “Now it’s a family habit – my two sons do the same with their kids.”

Colnett
owned by Bunker A. and Kathy Hill of Costa Mesa

The 42-foot cruiser was built in 1924 by Seacraft Shipyard in Wilmington. “The masts are spruce, the hull is Douglas fir on oak frames,” says Hill, who bought the boat in 2007 with Steve Farwell. “The cabin sides are select-grade teak inside and out.”

The lure: “My dad was in the boat business, and we lived near the water and spent almost all our recreation time playing about in boats,” says Hill, a marine surveyor. “I like old wooden boats.”

Why this boat? “I believe this is one-of-a-kind. In the 1920s when you wanted a boat like this – they were too big to transport across the country and too small for passage – you hired an architect, took a design and went to boat builders who would bid the project, then the boat was produced.”

The upkeep: “We keep it coated with marine-grade varnish. We do this about three times a year,” says Hill.

Memories are made:  Hill and his family celebrate Thanksgiving on the boat. “One year we thought, why don’t we anchor the boat in the harbor and cook a turkey?” he says. They played cards on deck while the turkey cooked, then at sundown enjoyed the meal. “It worked out very well – we had six people for a sit-down dinner on the boat.”

Thunderbolt
Owned by Bob Halderman of Rancho Palos Verdes

The fast 12-foot Snowbird racing boat was part of a fleet originally designed for teenagers and children to race. “It was built by Dorrance McClure Boatbuilding in Costa Mesta in 1948,” says owner Bob Halderman. “The idea was that the younger kids were training to become skippers themselves.”

You owned this twice? “Yes, I had a Snowbird when I was 14,” says Halderman. “I sold it when I was 17, in 1951. Then in 2000, 49 years after I sold it, I bought it again.” A childhood friend who knew the exact number of Halderman’s boat saw an ad for it in a Newport paper and called to tell him about it. “I bought it back – it looked pretty good. It had some problems but I worked in construction since I was 22, so I knew what to do about it. It was a labor of love.”

The lure: “It represents a chapter of your life. You look at it and think, ‘Ah, those were the good old days,’” says Halderman. “There is a nostalgia in redoing a boat that you used to sail when you were a teenager.”  

On the sea: “The Snowbird is a very forgiving boat. It’s heavy and does not tip over easily. If it heels violently with a puff of wind, you can go a long way before you get water. It very
seldom capsizes.”

Cool fact: For the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the Newport Beach Snowbird was chosen as the single-handed boat for the sailing race in Los Angeles Harbor. “It’s a real windy place,” Halderman says. “They decided that a taller mast and shorter boom would be better. I’m not sure why they did it. Strangely it didn’t seem to make a difference in speed.”

Firecracker
owned by Mark and Tracy Widder of Newport Beach

The Widders’ Firecracker, a 28-foot replica of a Chris-Craft runabout, was built in Holland, Mich., in 2003. It’s called a “double upswept” because the wood on the bow gently slopes up to meet the edge of the windshield, and the wood on the center engine cover slopes up from the rear. “The gentleman who built it said he used to water ski behind this type of boat when he was young,” says Mark Widder. There is no fiberglass. The boat is made with spruce frames covered with Honduran mahogany planking. The banjo steering wheel is a 1930 vintage wheel.

Why build a replica? Mark and Tracy wanted a boat the whole family would enjoy – and this includes three dogs. “We opted for a modern replica … rather than an original boat that we would be hesitant to use as much.”

The lure: “I just love the look of old wooden boats,” says Widder, whose father was a wood pattern maker. “Watching [my dad] make things by hand from wood as I grew up made me appreciate the craftsmanship that went into wood boat building later on.”

Typical outings? “If sea conditions outside the Newport jetty are calm, we enjoy taking Firecracker to Emerald Bay or along the shoreline up to Huntington Beach,” says Mark. Most often, though, he and Tracy take their dogs out for a ride in the harbor, or they tie up at the Cannery for lunch with friends.

To Yang, art has a spiritual quality. “It is meant to touch your heart and make you happy in different ways.”

Stand before her “Chrysanthemum Dance,” a glass flower blossom more than 2 feet wide, and you can feel a peaceful beauty in the curved petals that open out into space. With light shining down through the glass from above, the piece glows with a kind of cool moonlight.

Yang’s work has attracted admirers from around the world. She has won numerous design awards, has taught classes at Corning Glass and was recently featured in a Chase Bank commercial as a recognized master.

Yet she and her husband, Chang Yi (who manages the business end of things), believe that art isn’t meant to be hidden in museums, but should be displayed in galleries, public spaces and private homes where it can be enjoyed every day.

Keeping a Chinese heritage alive

Yang’s work is called Liuli – an ancient Chinese term for crystal art – because she and her husband want to promote an awareness of it.

They own Luiligongfang (translation: Liuli studio) in Taiwan and operate 70 galleries where Yang’s art can be seen throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. The Costa Mesa gallery opened in April.

Some of Yang’s works fit perfectly modern homes. “Reflection of the Heart” is a round piece of purple glass with a fragile green orchid perched on its edge. Delicate, simple, and with the right light, it looks like a pool of water with a flower leaning over the surface.

“Ordinarily, these pieces are lit from above, but they can be lit from the bottom,” says Yang. “They are very adaptable.”

Actor and artist

She is world-renowned for her art, but Yang was once famous throughout Asia as an accomplished film actress. She won two awards as best leading actress at the Golden Horse Awards, and best actress at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in the 1980s. Her husband had a previous career as a film director. In fact, it was during their last film together that Yang became fixated on some glass art pieces that were being used as props – and soon wanted to try making her own.

“This is fate, and it is very positive for me,” she says. “Looking back, it was my path.”

So the couple abandoned the art of making movies to apply their creative sensibilities to molding crystal pieces. It was a sharp learning curve – with a lot of experimentation and expensive breakage. “For years we knew nothing and had to experiment with each step,” says Yi.

But in 1987 they started Liuli, and with a technique called pâte de verre, which involves wax forms and molds, furnaces and kilns, Yang creates her intricate glass objects – a baby resting in a hand, fish leaping out of the ocean, a flower seemingly rushing out of a wave. Today Liuligongfang employs about 1,000 workers worldwide, but mostly in Asia, and produces glassware, vases, figurines and jewelry in addition to the art pieces.

Thinking big

Yang puts no limit on her dreams, and once she has a vision, she works until it becomes a reality.

When the couple visited the famous Caves of a Thousand Buddhas in Laos in 1996, they were able to view a cave wall fresco of a Buddha with 1,000 arms and eyes that was nearly 600 years old. Told by a guide that the fresco was fading and that nothing could be done about it, Yang decided she would create a glass Buddha based on that image.

She created 2-meter-high crystal Buddha and then another from polyester that stands 5 meters tall, which she donated to a monastery in Taiwan. “We believe that compassion should be the only meaningful message delivered to the world,” says Yi.

Yang is always absorbing the world around her. “I’m very sensitive – everything around me is interesting to observe,” says the artist. “My ideas come from my responses to the environment and the relationships to my experiences.”

One of her pieces, a block of clear crystal glass filled with streams of small bubbles and thin Buddha faces that look like they are suspended in water at varying angles, is called “Compassion That Transcends Time.”

Yang’s gift is to create little islands of tranquility like this one that are refreshingly peaceful in our busy modern world.

Allow yourself to take in the light, white space of this unique structure, designed in 1961 by Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey, Pasadena architects who later designed the Norton Simon Museum. Though formal on the outside, the interior conveys a casual elegance that is both calm and inviting. Sunlight filters through the soaring windows, playing across the floor and through glass cases filled with designer jewelry.

Saving an O.C. icon

For years this space was home to popular restaurants – Stuft Shirt and Cano’s – then it sat vacant for more than a decade. Finally, five years ago boutique owner Nancy Brown and her daughters Dawn Klohs, Denise Schaefer and Apryl Schaefer, were able to relocate their clothing and jewelry store from Westcliff to the iconic building.

“We wanted this for so many years,” says Dawn Klohs. “The owner, Paul Haskell, said it was our destiny to be here. He knows we respect the building and treat it like our home.” (Haskell, now 84, resides on Bay Island and still owns the building.)

The sisters restored the space to expose its original structure, working with Venice architect Paul Davis. “When the restaurant Stuft Shirt took it over, and then Cano’s, they did everything they could to hide the architecture because they thought the building was out of date,” says Klohs. “We could not wait to expose everything – this made the owner so happy.”

The project did not daunt the sisters – quite the opposite. “It was actually amazing to work with this building – there was no dry rot, no mold, no termites. It’s really solid, and museum-like,” says Klohs. “We took the whole back cooking area and exposed the masonry, making it industrial and raw. On the selling floor, we wanted it to look more refined with white spaces.”

A driving passion

The sisters didn’t want the look to be static. “We didn’t connect anything to the concrete walls, so it’s very flexible for different installations,” explains Klohs. “We love change, bringing in new things, creating different environments all the time.”

But the store re-opened at this location just as the economy was crashing – it was a risky time, and friends and customers were worried. The drive of the three sisters and their mother to keep it going turned out to be more than enough to meet the challenge.

After all, the daughters have been in this business for practically their whole lives.

Almost 40 years ago, Nancy Brown started the gift and home business with a friend, whom she later bought out. “My younger sister and I, at age 10 and 12, organized the merchandise and displays after school,” says Klohs. “And our mother realized that whatever we put out, people wanted. So she began taking us on buying trips.”

The rest, you could say, is Orange County history. Klohs believes that running the business as a family, in a place where they are known and loved, is key to its success.

All in the family

“We don’t have a high turnover with our store employees, we’ve never used a buying office – and I think customers feel the difference,” she says.

They come from all over the world, according to Klohs. “We have a lot of customers from L.A., and definitely a lot from Orange County, but it’s really a global business. Saudi Arabians come in August – they adore our store,” says Klohs.

And each customer gets individual attention.

“We know what they want, what works and what doesn’t,” says Klohs, adding that some clients have been shopping with them 30 years.

Another factor is the consistently high quality of merchandise. “We don’t like trendy things that date quickly,” says Klohs. “We love good quality, and we love good style more than fashion.”

As part of the store’s upcoming 40th anniversary celebration in February, the sisters plan to feature exclusives from designers they have worked with for more than two decades, such as South African designer Peter Cohen. Nancy Brown is retired but keeps tabs on what her daughters are doing.

“We feel so blessed to do our business here,” says Klohs. “It makes us happy, and I think this, in turn, makes our business stronger.”

Get the look

You can’t replicate the iconic building of this boutique, but some aspects of A’maree’s inviting environment can be applied in your home. Here are a few ideas from Dawn Klohs.

If you have tall windows, use white linen curtains to filter the sunlight. “We use Pierre Frey linen,” says Klohs.

Go for white walls and light flooring.

Move objects and furniture around often,

as a creative way to showcase your favorite objects.

Keep the space clean, open and uncluttered.