Terry Martin has been carving surfboards for 55 years, 40 of those for Hobie Sports. He has personally "shaped" more than 70,000 surfboards. His is just one of the stories explored in a new film, Shaped, produced and directed by Walter Georis, a Carmel restaurateur, winery owner and musician. The movie is a homage to the people who made the surfing industry what it is today. … [Read more...] about The Shape of California Surfing
Lifestyle
Animal Rescue
Last summer, SPCA for Monterey County's Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center supervisor Rosanna Leighton crawled down a ladder into a dark, narrow well. A coyote had been trapped 20 feet below for days, and claw marks at the surface suggested the coyote's mate had unsuccessfully attempted to dig her out. As a colleague lowered a long pole into the well, Leighton worked an … [Read more...] about Animal Rescue
Help from the Sky
Days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated parts of Haiti, Carmel real estate developer Erik Pilegaard visited a facility filled with injured victims. "Imagine a big open room, and the beds are all lined up next to each other. There are just tons of people in there. There's a person with a crushed leg on one bed, and a person with a crushed pelvis and broken … [Read more...] about Help from the Sky
Building Blocks
On an overcast morning at the Salinas Community School, a group of high schoolers dressed in shades of black and gray are working on their running stitch. Colorful sunsets, peace signs, doves, eagles and hearts are among the many designs being embroidered, drawn, and ironheat transferred onto fabric squares. The completed squares, or blocks, are stacked neatly on teacher Chris … [Read more...] about Building Blocks
Philanthropy from the Heart
Throughout the past year, headlines often carried heaviness. Corporate scandal. Ponzi schemes. Job cuts and home foreclosures. It might have left Americans disheartened, except that every tale of greed was matched with stories of good deeds, generosity and hope. People really do want to help others. The United States boasts more than 1.5 million public charities, private … [Read more...] about Philanthropy from the Heart