Real Newport Beach

Why do 70% of people put off estate planning?  It's probably some combination of: expense, revealing personal information, busy work that most people don't like to do or maybe just confronting death.  Who wants to do that?!  There are very few people that don't need an estate plan, but if you've saved a few dollars or if you have dependent children, you will not like what your state plans to do if you die without proper planning.  Laura Meier is an estate planning lawyer here in Newport Beach.  She won't make you feel guilty and she will help guide you to achieving a milestone that will make you feel awesome.   

Corona del Mar high school is a source of pride for our community.  The Newport Mesa school board and the high school want to build an improved, multi-purpose athletic field and track.  That's great...right?  Well, it's a bit harder for residents near the school to gleefully embrace the new field/stadium. If you lived nearby you'd be thinking about traffic, noise, impact on home values, and parking, just to name a few.  Then there's the 80' light polls, a PA system and an uncertain number of night events that can go as late as 10:00 pm.  How much influence can local homeowners have on the process? You'll be surprised!  Ryan O'Grady and I talk about what we know, what we think we know and how we feel about the process.

How did you do when you had "the talk" with your children? The fact is that most parents don't have the talk about hygiene, puberty and changing bodies, which means they probably won't have "the talk" about, well, sex. Annette Dunn is a registered nurse who counsels parents and children on their bodies and growing up. She'll give you plenty of motivation on how to do it, advice on when and where to have the talk and she'll share her insights as the school nurse at Corona del Mar high school for over 10 years. If that's not motivation enough, wait until you hear her talk about the statistics of STD's right here in Newport Beach. Do you think we are at, above or below the national average? We cover a lot of ground so listen in to learn and get smarter for the benefit of your children.

If you're not monitoring your children's online activity there is a 90% chance they have been exposed to questionable or offensive images or information.  Children and teens use SnapChat or Kik to keep parents from knowing what's going on.  Safety expert Scott Burnett offers advice and some tough love for parents who are not currently monitoring their children online.  You need to listen, you need to take action and you need to develop a regular routine of keeping tabs on your children.

How much do you need to know about what’s going on in your children’s lives once they start to be independent?  Jr. and Sr. high school is a time when our kids get confronted by a myriad of social challenges - relationships, new social circles, alcohol, drugs - there’s a long list - but what should we be watching?  Licensed child psychologist Dr. Cynthia Baker has seen it all and she has some advice for us.  There’s a fine balance we need to strike to let our kids grow up, but still keep our finger on the pulse.  You’ll find this interview very useful.  I met with Dr. Baker at her offices in Newport Beach.

Everyone loves discovering new places, especially places that inspire learning while having fun.  The Sea and Sage Audubon Society is wildlife and plant sanctuary just across from UC Irvine.  Sure you'll find countless birds and "birders" from around the world there, but you'll also discover it's home to coyotes, fox, bobcats and many other species of wildlife.  The trail around the 300 acre park makes you feel like you're in a lost world because the trees and bushes are so tall.  The park is open 365 days a year, it's free and and it's amazing. We visited with Debbie Brin, an old friend, who is a member of the staff there.  Joe didn't find one plant or animal that Debbie couldn't identify. It's a fun interview that reveals one of Orange County's treasures.

If you know about the world of eSports, then you already know it's got a huge following.  The University of California Irvine is the first public university in America to launch an eSports initiative and it won't be long before many follow.  eSports has tens of millions of active players around the world, professional teams and now, one really cool University, with brilliant students - about 72% of whom identify as gamers.  Welcome to League of Legends. Joe sat down with Jesse Wang, president of the Association of Gamers at UC Irvine to talk about gaming, the new initiative and the future.

Dr. Carol Barash is the founder of Story 2 College. She trains students how to write amazing essays for their college applications.  In this interview Carol talks about the process of choosing college or other pursuits, the importance of community involvement in the application process and why telling an amazing story is the first step in writing an amazing essay.  There are lessons here for students as young as 7th grade - good grades are just the price of getting in the game, but developing as a citizen is one of the keys to winning admission to the college of your choice.  College admissions officers are looking for the whole package - a scholar, a citizen and someone who is expressive.  Dr. Barash wrote the book on how to do it and in this interview she will share her secrets.

How is your focus on diet and fitness?  Most people tend to wander in and out good habits on both unless they develop a lifestyle that makes each a priority.  Over the last 20 years Dr. Tim Ramirez has trained professional athletes and people like us.  His approach is refreshing, supportive and extremely effective.  Listen in as we talk about why your core is so important, how to get and stay motivated and why it’s so hard to maintain a good diet.  

Adult coloring books are all the rage.  There is nothing simple about these coloring books since you can purchase books focusing on landscapes, the classics, pop art, animals and many others.  Stacie Wendland uses adult coloring books as one of her many creative outlets.  She talks about which books appeal to her, she cites studies about the benefits of coloring and she gives plenty of ideas for people who might want to jump in and give it a try.  It promises to be a fun, creative hobby, so listen in and find out how you can explore your inner Van Gogh.

Get as close to Hollywood and the music industry as possible with a make-up artist who goes to their homes, travels on location and fights off the paparazzi when needed.  Beth Carter has been working with A-Listers for 20 years and she shares stories that will prove some tabloids right and others wrong.  What does Cher know about her appearance that every woman should know?  How many outfits can Janet Jackson fit into a semi tractor trailer?  What is Award week like?  Beth talks about all the names you know so well: Kardashians, Ozborns, Jane Fonda, Angelina and many others.  It's a fascinating discussion, so you can put your favorite magazine aside and be entertained by a woman who has been in the middle of the action long enough to what's true about the lives of Hollywood's stars.

If you have children in your home you probably encourage them to make healthy choices with food, exercise and social interactions.  Dr. Patricia Riba is a pediatrician who specializes in nutrition and healthy lifestyles for children.  She offers advice on how parents can make positive changes, how to avoid dysfunctional associations with food and why diets and talk of diets around children is something to be avoided.  There is plenty of positive reinforcement in this interview from a pediatrician who treats children and helps families improve their lives everyday.  Dr. Riba is the co-author of the book, "Fit Kids Revolution - diet-free guide to raising healthy children."  You'll hear her offer advice to parents who can do a bit more, parents who need to dial it back a bit, how "screen time" influences behaviors and the role of a schedule in children's lives.  

It's 125 miles as the crow flies from Newport Beach, CA to Ensenada, Mexico.  The 69th running of the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht race will host over 250 boats in the largest international yacht race on the West coast.  Commodore Dave Shockley shares stories about the history of the event and talks about the entrants - some of whom are very serious professional sailors and others whom participate annually to enjoy sailing at its best.  It's a point to point race so Dave talks about the celebration that awaits in Ensenada, how the boats get home and where some go after they finish.  It's a great conversation with a sailor who is friend to many and a host of an event known around the world.

The harbor in Newport Beach is made more beautiful by the array of magnificent boats and yachts.  Host, Joe Taricani, interviews Tom Unvert who was the captain of two large yachts early in his career.  Tom is on to talk about his experiences, what catches his eye today, owning real estate with a dock, a hair raising story in Dana Point as captain and much more.  Enjoy.

The 2016 season of World Team Tennis will take center stage in Newport Beach. The Orange County Breakers are based at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.  The Breakers are one of 6 six teams in the league this year including Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Springfield, MO and San Diego.  The world's great players use World Team Tennis as a way to keep their game sharp between Wimbledon and the US Open, so this year's rosters will be full of big names and exciting matches. We sit down with Allen Hardison, general manager of the Breakers, to talk about the league, the upcoming season and a range of other topics including which of the world's great tennis players call Orange County home.  Welcome to REAL Newport Beach

Roger's Gardens makes homes more beautiful, so an art gallery is a natural extention of the decor options you'll choose from when you come to the store.  Theresa Marino has been the art gallery director at Roger's Gardens since its debut in 2008.  Listen is as Theresa talks about how to choose art that complements living spaces, how she selects artists and works to display in the gallery and events Roger's Gardens hosts to allow customers to meet and interact with the artists.  On the lighter side, you'll hear Theresa talk about how surprised long-time customers are when they finally discover the gallery and its works for the first time. Theresa has worked in southern California's art industry for nearly 30 years.  She has worked with the Laguna Art Museum, Laguna College of Art & Design and Joan Irvine Smith, along with hundreds of noted artists of this period.

We went on location this day to Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar, CA.  Roger's Gardens is a destination home and garden store for those seeking creative ideas and unique products for outdoor and indoor living.  Tracy Wankner is a Horticulturist and Team Leader at Roger's Gardens with a degree in Landscape Architecture.  She's an LEED certified professional with a passion for California Friendly and low water-use landscapes.  Tracy shares ideas on updating your outdoors, how to plan your garden, low water plant solutions, plus much more including some advice for Joe. 

Elizabeth and her husband considered selling their house, but then decided to remodel and stay put.  Her kitchen was her focus because her kitchen remodel years earliers had become tired.  She visualized her new kitchen using Pinterest then called in a designer who used all her ideas to craft a plan.  This is a success story where a designer helped make the process fast, creative and perfect.  Elizabeth talks about her trip to the slab yard to pick out her countertop, the speedy construction turn-around and a little extra painting that they hadn't planned on doing.  All in all it's a great story about staying in a home you love and updating the kitchen to make it more fun.

We're off to the San Diego area to speak with Rudy about remodeling his two bathrooms.  He remodeled both bathrooms a few years ago, but he made a budget choice with a 2nd tier contractor.  He'll talk about what went wrong and his leap into a top to botttom remodel including selecting countertops at a local stone yard.  Selecting stone can be overwhelming, but with the help of one of the professionals at the yard he ended up with a beautiful piece.  Rudy talks about the selection process, what he took with him and the rationale for his final choice.  During installation his contractor actually created a small crack which they ultimately showed to him and replaced.  It wasn't before, however, the contractor first thought they could cover it up, but they came back after a short time and disclosed their damage.  

We go on location with Julia in southern California.  She and her husband bought their dream home and have undertaken some renovations before moving in.  The timeframe is tight and things were going really well until she bought some special bathroom sink fixtures that didn't work with the fittings in place.  The special stone floor she bought required a scattered pattern design, but the flooring contractor placed the stones in a symetrical pattern.  It creates moments of high stress, but she got it all worked out.  You'll hear her wisdom in this interview - know what your contractor is doing each day and save yourself some anxiety.