Pitch Men

Wayne Beighley, Woody Cady, Steve Butler and Don Dawson ---- better known as "Premium Blend" ---- sing as a barbershop quartet with the Palomar Pacific chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Along with a series of upcoming events, the four crooners harmonized around North County on Valentine's Day, bringing unique and sweet gifts of song wherever they were needed. More information on their group can be found at www.harmonize.com/PalPac. More...

The Wolf Whisperer

Field biologist Kimberly Miller, 37, began working as a volunteer at the California Wolf Center in Julian five years ago. Working her way up to general manager, Miller now oversees the facility and the care of Mexican and Alaskan wolves. The center is primarily focused on breeding and preserving the genetics of the Mexican wolf, which had once dwindled to just seven animals from extinction in the 1970s. The Julian center now houses 11 Mexican wolves, one of the rarest land mammals in the world with a total population of about 300. Of those, only about 50 remain in the wild. One of the center's goals is to release some of the wolves to the northern range of their natural habitat in Arizona and New Mexico. More...

The Big Dipper

Dustyn Simpson, 16, works at Dippers Pizza in Escondido as a sign-holder. On the corner of Escondido Boulevard and Centre City Parkway, Dustyn can be seen strumming his guitar and promoting a $4.99 pepperoni pizza special, all while wearing a costume of the pizza parlor's mascot. The bright red monkey suit is hard to miss and key to getting passers-by to stop in. More...

James' Bonds

Formerly with Cisco Systems, Jimmy Fraser, 49, gave up Internet equipment sales about five years ago to become a bail bondsman. His 24-hour mobile service, Bugsy's Bail Bonds, is named after his 6-year-old yellow Lab who travels with him in his motor home and helps Fraser dog clients who don't show up for court in San Diego and Riverside counties. More...

The man of the hour

Some call him St. Nick, others call him Kriss Kringle, but usually everyone just calls him Santa Claus. The man in red will be flying over homes Christmas Eve with his trusty reindeer to deliver presents to good children all around the world. He laughs as he says he never gets tired doing his job year after year, especially with the assistance of his wife, Mrs. Claus, and his ever-ready elves. Old St. Nick came to town last week to take a quick break before his big night and sat down for a chat. More...

The Rockin' Roller

Gwen Miller, better known to her fellow skaters as "Skinny Minnie," has been playing roller derby for 30 years. As captain of the new Southern California Firebirds, she hopes a new generation of skaters finds their own love of the game. More...

The Skin Sketcher

Tattoo artist Stevie O'Dell, 29, of American Tattoo in Escondido has been perfecting his work for more than five years. Always interested in advanced art, O'Dell began sketching tattoo designs for his friends and eventually became confident enough in his work to pursue a career as a full-time tattoo artist. For him, the artform is more than just skin deep. More...

The Model Citizen

Eric Hunter has one of the most fun jobs around as a master model builder at Legoland California in Carlsbad. Hunter has been honing his bricklaying skills since he was a child, only to make a living at it as an "adult." Take a tour through Legoland's workshop while the crew prepares prototypes for the new mini city, Las Vegas. More...

Canine Coach

At 37, Debby Wheeler is a seasoned dog trainer who specializes in agility at Martini's Ranch in Escondido. The ranch, named after her top dog and flyball champion Marti McFly, offers beginner, intermediate and advanced classes for dog owners and dogs of any breed, temperament or size. More...

The Blue Angel

This Blue Angel has a wingspan of 40 feet and moves faster than the speed of sound. Lt. Kevin Davis, aka Kojak, has been with the U.S. Navy for 10 years and is a proud member of the elite squadron that performs air shows throughout the country. The Blue Angels dazzle spectators with their stomach-turning manuevers, while promoting the military in hopes of boosting enrollment. The squadrons latest appearance is at the annual Miramar Air Show, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Blue Angels. More...

The Wingman

Eric Svelmoe, 48, loves to fly back in time in a 1928 biplane. An airplane mechanic and pilot for 25 years, Svelmoe has been flying tourists over Temecula Valley's Wine Country for California Dreamin' for the last two years. He enjoys meeting people and giving them a taste of aviation history. More...

Mr. Ranger Sir!

Park Ranger John Hein just started his job at Lake Poway six weeks ago, but he already is settling right in and doing more than guarding people's pick-a-nick baskets. Whether he's helping fishers at the dock or enforcing the rules, he says he just tries to make sure everyone can enjoy the lake. Sometimes that job also includes helping drop off hundreds of fish into the lake, as he did for Lake Poway's Midnight Catfish Craze. He plans to continue to work as a Park Ranger while he attends college, studying kinesiology. More...

The Lizard King

Brian Sodeman has the kind of job that would give most people a case of the willies. At LLL Reptile in Escondido, Sodeman's charges wiggle, crawl, creep, hop, slither and on occasion try to take a bite of the hand that feeds them.
 

The Mind Bender

Hypnotist Mark Yuzuik knows most people are skeptical about his trade. But he also knows that it doesn't keep them from having a good time at his shows at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar. The slightly silly, slightly bawdy performances may feature invisible giant rats, uncontrolled role-playing and a little imaginary nudity. Whether audiences believe it or not, they tend to leave laughing. More...

Groom Service

Animal groomer Pam Ingraham has worked for Aussie Pet Mobile for eight months. The North County business removes the hassle of taking your pet to or from the shop and brings convenience to your front door. The services offer bathing, flee baths, nail clipping, grooming and more. Ingraham has taken her fondness of furry friends and turned it into a labor of love. More...

The Oenophile

Entering his 21st harvest, 36-year-old Don Reha of Thornton Winery enjoys the challenge and lifestyle of being a winemaker in Temecula Valley. Growing up in NAPA Valley, Reha brought his wine country know-how, education and proven palate to Southern California where he combines the art and the science of winemaking to choose only the best blends to bottle. More...

The Grim Keeper

Steve McGargill, who co-owns Berry Bell & Hall Mortuary in Fallbrook with his brother, is in the business of coffins, coolers and hearses. Take a tour of the process in between dying and reaching that final resting place. More...

That's the spirit

Yogi and shaman Christina Allen, owner of Blue Raven Yoga and Healing Center in San Marcos, began practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 1989 and began teaching in 1995. She has studied physics and neuroscience and combines her knowledge of science with her expertise in yoga and shamanic healing to help her students better themselves mentally, spiritually and physically. More...

The Hit Man

Professional boxing trainer John Dykeman, owner of Unleashed Fitness & Training Center in Escondido, has been boxing since he was 10 years old. At 39, Dykeman can see the positive effect that such sports as boxing and martial arts have on young people in increasing fitness, self-discipline and self-confidence. While Unleashed centers offer classes to all ages, Dykeman says that one of the most rewarding parts of his job is getting more teens involved in fitness, which he sees as a way of preventing gang activity. More...

Mr. Sedimental

Stephen's Custom Jewelry has been one of downtown Escondido's gems for 29 years. Steve Koonce owns and operates the business at 132 W. Grand Ave., as well as a tourmaline mine at the Pala Indian Reservation. Making jewelry from scratch is his recipe for success. More...

Kung Fu King

David Willey teaches kung fu and tai chi at Escondido Kung Fu. He began his training in kung fu in 1980 and now shares his love of kung fu and tai chi with children and adults who are interested in improving their body, mind and spirit. More...

The Needle Worker

At Acupunture and Massage of Oceanside, Dr. Gregory Lipton uses Chinese medicine to help his patients find the path to well-being. With massage, herbal medicine or acupunture, Dr. Lipton pinpoints problem areas, opens up energy channels and revitalizes the body. More...

The Gaming Guru

Ben Jackson, 18, has turned his dominance of popular Xbox video game "Halo 2" into a career. The Murrieta teen and the other three members of his team, Carbon, recently signed a $1 million contract with Major League Gaming after they clinched the national title in Las Vegas, which earned them an additional $100,000. Known as "Karma" in the gaming circuit, Jackson is the undisputed "Halo 2" champion of both singles and team play. More...

The Animal Trainer

Janet Ramsay has a roaring good time as an animal trainer at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park in Escondido. She joined the Wild Animal Park crew four years ago to work on a pet project of animal encounters that brings animals closer to park guests than ever before. More...

The Star Gazer

Ever since he was a child, 44-year-old Scott Kardel has been star-struck. Years later, with a master's degree in astronomy, Kardel is living his dream on Palomar Mountain studying the stars and sharing his stellar passion with visitors to world-renowned Palomar Observatory in North San Diego County. More...

Santa's Helper

Local handyman Brian Booth spends his holiday season hanging lights for North County residents. During the hustle and bustle of this time of year Booth works seven days a week stepping in for people too busy to make the time or to leery to make the climb. Whether it's putting them up or taking them down ---- this is one worry his customers can cross off their to do lists. More...

The Weight Lifter

Matt Crouch, 28, started as "yard boy" for Brewer Crane and Rigging about seven years ago, gradually working his way up from 40-ton cranes to the 400-ton crane he operates today. It is one of the largest hydraulic cranes in Southern California. One of his recent jobs was lifting more than 75,000 pounds of excavation equipment at Miramar Landfill onto a heavy-duty semi trailer for relocation to another site. More...

Specter Detector

Maritza Skandunas is a genealogist who created The San Diego Ghost Hunters in 2000. She and three other ghostbusters seek out paranormal activity from San Diego to Ventura. She recently went to the more than 150-year-old Rancho Buena Vista Adobe in Vista in hopes of meeting a few of its previous residents. More...

The Toe Tapper

Dance instructor Tracey Burkhalter has been dancing for most of her life and has been teaching dance for half of it. As a teacher at Best Foot Forward dance studio in Escondido, Tracey gets to teach what she loves everyday to her students, who range in age from toddlers to 84 years old. The 31-year-old teaches everything from ballet to lyrical, but says tap is her favorite because it turns the dancer's body into a musical instrument. More...

The Real Deal

Table games dealer Stephani Marshall has been at the Pechanga Casino & Resort in Temecula for three years. Trained to deal a half-dozen card games, Marshall's mind is sharp. Her hands are quick and clean. She enjoys the fast pace of blackjack, adding cards and percentages as she deals and interacts with the players. Marshall gets to meet people from all walks of life and loves the flexibility of the graveyard shift. For her, the casino business is a gamble that pays off as a lifestyle choice. More...

The Magic Man

J.P. Scirica got hooked on magic at a young age and never let go. Today, as owner of The Grand Magic Shop, he not only performs his feats of fancy but provides other professional magicians and would-be prestidigitators with the tools of the trade. And if you need some phoney vomit, he's got that too. More...

The Glass Master

Stained glass artist Joe Perez knows for most folks the thought of working around lots of shards of glass can be a bit intimidating. He says once they take one of his glasses at Escondido-based Joe's Glass Shack, they'll find it's a lot safer than it looks, and the results are beautiful. More...
 
 
 

The Happy Medium

The Rev. Rainy Broms, 36, is one the psychic readers at Rainy's Mystics Books & Gifts. Her San Marcos business offers readings, spiritual classes, seances and several events for the Halloween season. Whether you're looking for mystical literature or a glimpse at the other side, it can be found here. They're expecting you. More...

The Wind Rider

Hot-air balloon pilot David Bradley, 42, got his start in ballooning in 1977 in Kansas. Now with California Dreamin', Bradley gives tourists in Temecula Valley's Wine Country a chance to explore the vineyards from 2,000 feet. More...