To be a good writer, you need to be a good reader. I was indeed a voracious reader at an early age, consuming everything from Hardy Boys to Box Car Children books to short stories by Ray Bradbury. By the time I hit 8th grade, I was reading at a college level. Everything is easier...

Pacific Symphony’s 2017-18 Classical Opening Night Celebration & Concert was a night of elegance and opulence from the moment 320 guests arrived at the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel. Attendees decked out in black-tie and stunning ball gowns began celebrating the Symphony’s...

Where are the future Broadway stars? They’re attending the Orange County School of the Arts. OCSA kicked off its 2017-18 season with a beachfront concert at the Balboa Bay Resort on Sept. 9 starring Broadway star (and OCSA alumna) Krysta Rodriguez performing a handful of songs...

Fly-n-Fish Oyster Bar is kicking-off National Seafood Month with its third annual Chowder for a Cause to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Throughout the month of October, proceeds from every order of Chef Julio Hawkins’ New England Clam Chowder sold will be donated...

By Gary Jones | Special to the NB Indy “Good” bugs can be a homeowner’s best friend, while “bad” bugs can wipe out weeks of gardening in just a few days. By definition, it is easy to know the difference. The notorious bad bug gang of four – aphids, whitefly, scale and mealy-bu...

By Garry Brown, Executive Director / Orange County Coastkeeper Just above Newport Harbor is the Upper Newport Bay, a sanctuary to many species of plants, birds and marine organisms. The Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve and Ecological Reserve is an estuary, a wetland with a mix...

St. Mark Presbyterian Church invites the community to A Day for Contemplation and Compassion on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. According to St. Mark Elder Deborah Mayhew, the retreat day is designed to deepen one’s skills and capacities for compassionate living. “We...

“We believe in the significance of families and we support families,” said Ali Woodard, founder president and CEO of Fristers. “Fristers is a non-profit that supports teen parents, the youngest and most vulnerable families in our communities. We are completely focused on helping...

By Felicia Wiseman | NB Indy “Fear No Fruit” is a fascinating and true story of 91-year-old Frieda Caplan, also known as “The Queen of Kiwi.” Born in Los Angeles and a graduate of UCLA, she worked as a bookkeeper and cashier in the Wholesale Produce Market in downtown L.A. In the...

Good Morning, (Buon Giorno) Boomers! I trust you’ve recovered sufficiently from the Holidays for us to begin the New Year together. From my present vantage point, I see a lot of changes in the offing, and, like Ricky Ricardo, I may have “a lot of splainin’ to do” to make sense of...