“Beyond the Gates” and “Eyes on Books” in September

“Beyond the Gates”

Cruising to view whales, eating crab and lobster in unique settings, and enjoying pie close to home are on the menu in September for the Video Club’s monthly half-hour TV show, “Beyond the Gates” (BTG). The show airs on Village Television Wednesdays at 11 am and Sundays at 9 am.

At Newport Landing in Newport Beach, where whale watching and other popular boat cruises originate, BYG’s host Bill Hemberger, a Village resident, interviews Jessica Rome, the tour company’s Education and Communication Manager. (See photo above.) Next, he visits a Newport Beach staple – The Crab Cooker. The restaurant and fish market have been family-owned at the same location for 73 years.

Later, Hemberger learns about Southern California’s Original Lobster Festival from Troy Hassett, who has run the event for 27 years. With lobster flown in daily from Maine, the festival features bands, arts and crafts, a carnival, a kids’ stage, and more. It will be held in Fountain Valley Sports Park on September 8, 9, and 10.

The show ends nearby at Polly’s Pies in Laguna Woods, where Jacklyn Mitosinka tells Hemberger how her grandfather, Eddie Sheldrake, and great uncle started Polly’s Pies 55 years ago in Fullerton and how the chain has grown to 13 restaurants. Serving as Director of Brand for the firm, Mitosinka explains that Polly’s is currently upgrading all restaurants.

Current and past “Beyond the Gates” episodes may be viewed on YouTube. Search: “Village Television / Playlists / Video Club of Laguna Woods.” Resident Suzanne Savlov produces the show with the Video Club’s Video One Productions team; resident Jack Crawbuck directs photography.

“Eyes on Books”

An unusual novel, inspired by and written during COVID and told in powerful free verse, is the topic of September’s “Eyes on Books,” the Video Club’s monthly half-hour TV show which airs on Village Television Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 am. Hosts Teri and John Kelsall, Village residents, open the show discussing Adam Pelzman’s A Plagues of Mercies.

In the words of Goodread, “A lethal plague sweeps the globe. Millions have died. Survivors are confined to their homes (while) Gabriel passes his time in a small New York apartment…(observing) strangers in their nearby apartments…(and) develops a vague yet important connection…for those who are struggling to survive isolation, fear and looming death.” Eventually Gabriel’s preoccupation leads to a new relationship “when he and a woman from across the street begin to watch each other…(and) his imagination…collide(s) with the bleak reality of the times.”

Later, the hosts meet the author via Zoom. Born in Seattle and raised in New Jersey, Pelzman studied Russian literature at the University of Pennsylvania and law at UCLA. He is both a traditionally-published and self-published author who has achieved wide acclaim. Publishers Weekly said: “Pelzman’s talent and vision are formidable.” Kirkus Reviews described his book, The Papaya King, as “entrancing” and “deeply memorable.” His debut novel, Troika: A Cuban Russian American Love Story, was a runner up for the 2021 Selfies Book Awards U.S.

Current and past “Eyes on Books” episodes may be viewed on YouTube. Search: “Village Television / Playlists / Video Club of Laguna Woods.” Resident Suzanne Savlov produces the show with the Video Club’s Video One Productions team; resident Jack Crawbuck directs photography.