She Did It Her Way
To begin, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who felt compelled to write or contact me after reading my Publisher’s Note in the last issue about my mother’s health decline and The End of Life Option Act. I received many letters of encouragement as well as phone calls, many of which were from total strangers. Thank you all for your kindness and for the dialog on a sensitive topic that needed to be shared.
Carmel Magazine is now 23 years old and has remained consistent in staying true to our original commitment—to provide compelling editorial content—which we hope captures our readers in a way that inspires them to look forward to each issue. We always try to have a good mix of what makes this place we call home so special.
I need to acknowledge the writers who have been an integral part of this from the beginning. This magazine is not now, nor has it ever been, a “pay to play” magazine where people can buy content or have an advertising agreement based on a story about them. I believe in credible editorial. Our writers as well as our readers pitch ideas to me. I also stumble upon great stories and will assign them accordingly. It is a group effort. If you have a story idea, feel free to email me at steve@carmelmagazine.com and I will consider it for a future issue and assign it to one of our writers.
The cover story for this issue came from a local reader and fan of the magazine by the name of Don Bohen. He called me to say he has a son named Ian who was raised here and is now an actor on a popular television show called “Yellowstone,” among other things. Don said, “He will be here in early January, if you want to talk to him.” I was aware of Ian after binge watching the first few seasons of the immensely popular series in 2020, around the peak of COVID. I was home alone, as my wife and kids were not around, and I was planted on the couch for two days. Since then I’ve been a fan of the show. I guess Don never told Ian he pitched a story to us because Ian knew nothing about it when he was contacted by our photographer, Kelli Uldall. But he was more than happy to share his story with us, as his fondness for the area and his local roots are undeniable. He is incredibly nice, sweet and handsome. He has such a passion for life and this part of the world, as you will see. The story begins on page 88.
One of our most treasured writers is Carmel Valley’s own Sharon Randall. I first came to know Sharon when I worked with her at the Monterey Herald in the 1990s. She is such a great storyteller and has had a column featured in each Carmel Magazine going back almost 20 years. Sharon is the kind of person you want to know. She has a loving way about her which comes through in everything she does. In December 2022, Sharon determined it was time to end her syndicated column after writing it for 32 years! Thank you, Sharon, and please know your column will be missed but not forgotten.
I also want to thank Renee Brinks, Michael Chatfield, Mark Oman, Dina Ruiz, Laird Small, Marjorie Snow, Amelia Ward, Brett Wilbur and all the other contributors of editorial content and photography. Great work! Over the years we have received many awards and I can certainly attribute that to the quality of the content, the layout and the photography within.
Moving ahead, we have a lot to look forward to as the weather gets better and the post-COVID shutdown hangover is behind us. People are getting out more, and with all the places to go and things to do throughout the county, there is no shortage of good times ahead. Some of those places to go and things to do are featured in the pages of this issue. You can help us by supporting our advertisers, as they are the lifeblood of this magazine.
Happy Spring!