Sadly, there was a time when, month after month, Orange Coast carried no meaningful content. You'd see it on the newsstand, sigh in disappointment and grab a nearby Vanity Fair. No more. Under new ownership (Emmis Communications, the folks who produce the weighty Texas Monthly) and new leadership (Martin J. Smith, veteran journalist/author/professor), the magazine finally deserves subscriptions for its articles. Credit Smith for bringing a decent mix of stories. A recent issue included an entertaining feature on the OC RollerGirls, an investigative piece (yes, in Orange Coast!) about murder and mysteries at local marinas, an interview with Fullerton native Kevin Costner, a profile on a Laguna Beach waterfront palace, a fashion-photo spread using local celebrities, a short story on a competitive Scrabble king, and “the ultimate pet guide” for OC with a profile of Tyson, the Huntington Beach skateboarding bulldog. We're pinching ourselves because we agree with ex-county supervisor Harriet Wieder, who had this to say about the magazine's makeover: “I feel as though you have been turning over earth and finding new jewels.”
