Link: Get your game face on

Irvine is usually known as a beige and bland town but stories I found in the town point to its diversity. Take this story in which I highlight a group of people who meet monthly to play board games at the Duck Club. I found the group by searching online and stumbling across the club’s Meetup.org website.

Link: Ex-firefighter has his own Great Park plan

Writing about the Great Park planning and old El Toro base demolition allowed me to meet many interesting people. People like Don Croucher. At every Great Park meeting I’d find Don. He always wore a Hawaiian shirt, sat in the same seat and took notes. I introduced myself and inquired about his interest in the park. Turned out he was an ex-firefighter who loved the history of firefighting. All he wanted was to build a fire museum in the park someday.