Somatra Sean, Homeless Activist

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
“Working with the City of Long Beach is a different world for me because I am learning every day the many challenges of what it takes to help homeless people,” says Somatra Sean, a Cambodian homeless activist. Sean and team are currently working on a citywide project that invites [...]

Alice Robinson, Neighborhood Activist

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
“People in the neighborhood are always coming up to me: ‘Mrs. Robinson, when is the next feeding? I don’t want to forget,’” says neighborhood activist Alice Robinson. On every third Wednesday of the month since 2003, Robinson and her friend Stella Davis have provided their neighborhood with lunch—for free. [...]

Cameron Abel, Marine Safety Officer

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
“There is nothing like being outside and on the water every day. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” says Cameron Abel, a Long Beach Marine Safety officer. On New Year’s Eve, Abel and his rescue team were positioned at the bottom of the barge for Travis Pastrana’s world-record [...]

Greg Ruvolo, Owner, Caboose Corner

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
“People know me as ‘the train man,’” says Greg Ruvolo, owner of El Dorado Park’s Caboose Corner. “My father and I opened this train park in 1995 after spending eight years restoring the train and five years negotiating the train’s park location.”
In the early 1970s, Greg’s father, Tony, [...]

Omar Mayorga, Millikan High School Senior

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
“I am resolved to be dedicated to helping people and our community to do better,” says Omar Mayorga, a 17-year-old senior at Millikan High School and participant in the school-sponsored FOCUS (Finding Opportunities to Create Unity through Service). “I love being a part of the class. A [...]

Mikael Hashoul, Owner, Toorak Coffee

“The reason that I came to Los Altos was because I wanted to create a unique coffeehouse that could offer a special meet-up experience, a gourmet product and a great atmosphere,” says Mikael Hashoul, owner of Toorak Coffee. With a wide selection of drip coffee, gourmet espresso, whole-leaf teas and lots [...]

Bobbi Palmer, dating coach

“No matter how fantastic a woman you are, your life partner is not going to magically show up at your door. You have to get yourself ready and then go out and find him,” says Bobbi Palmer, owner of Date Like a Grown Up. Created to help successful women over 40 understand [...]

Reed Greenfield, Local Superhero

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
“My superhero character is all about new adventures and taking care of wrongdoing in the world,” says Reed Greenfield, alter-ego of comic-book superhero Z-Blade XX. Greenfield and friends recently released their first crime-fighting comic book, loosely based on Greenfield himself. “I, like others, am a struggling actor, and so [...]

Natalie Gutenkauf, Owner, The Factory

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
“The whole restaurant started with a passion of knowing where our food comes from and supporting our local economy and neighborhood,” says Natalie Gutenkauf, owner of recently-opened restaurant the Factory. For Gutenkauf, this endeavor is a dream come true: “I can remember telling my husband [I wanted to [...]

Jon Mansen, new face in town

“It is very difficult to find pants that fit when you are this tall—which puts great pressure on my favorite dwindling corduroys,” says Jon Mansen, a 6’11” recent transplant from Seattle. Mansen visited Long Beach in March to see his brother and quickly fell in love with the people. “I [...]