Small Business

"Chronicle"is a very nifty first effort from director Josh Trank and screenwriter Max Landis. Max is the son of legendary John Landis of "Animal House," "Trading Places" and "Twilight Zone" fame. This new film blends several movie genres in thoughtful and unexpected ways. It's equal parts teen comedy, superhero adventure and dark morality play in one complex package. It focuses on three high school boys going through the usual teenage issues. They stumble upon a strange hole in the ground.

NEWPORT BEACH - There's no mistaking the aura of a small business about to open its doors for the first time. Not yet dulled by writing, the tips of the pencils are still sharp. A pile of freshly printed business cards sits strategically placed. The shelves are artistically stocked, price tags clearly displayed, no corners left unclean. It's the calm showcase - one well-planned, the final product of untold work hours - before the customer/client storm most owners hope to get. But beyond the spick-and-span exterior, there's a more interesting story.

OCC will host the 10th annual Orange County Small Business Conference from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The theme this year will be ?Opportunities in a Challenging Market,? and the workshops will offer information for entrepreneurs and those thinking about starting a business in this challenging economy. The program is divided into three 50-minute sessions: business, marketing and finance. A panel of small businesses, and OCC?s business and computer division?s instructors, will present ?

Paul Clinton Merrill Lynch & Co. has set aside $490 million in cash statewide to lend to small minority-owned businesses like Costa Mesa's Wahoo's Fish Tacos. The taco-stand chain, with 28 restaurants, has tapped into Merrill funds to help finance expansions since 1996, when the two struck up a partnership. Merrill's announcement, on April 10, marked the third time the financial services company has set aside capital to lend to companies it describes as "nontraditional."

COSTA MESA - There's not much left on the stockroom shelves of Cal's Cameras & Video except for decades-old boxes of glass slides, now considered relics in this era of digital photography. The store at 1770 Newport Blvd. once boasted an inventory of more than 1 million units, overflowing with photographic paper, film and developing supplies, and annual sales of about $10 million, said Cal's founder, Cal Stilley, 87. "The wall used to [be] full of all types of photographic paper and chemicals," he said of his showroom's far wall, which is now lined by two digital print stations.

NEWPORT BEACH — State Sen. Tom Harman has an apron at home with the word “girlyman” printed across it, a sly reference to one of his governor’s favorite gibes. So when the staff at Wonderland Bakery asked Harman to don an apron with pink trim and a portrait of a young blond woman on the front Friday morning, he didn’t put up a fight. Harman recently chose Wonderland Bakery as the winner of the California Small Business Award for his district, which stretches from La Palma to Dana Point.

Almost eight months ago, optometrist Dr. Robert Glass, owner of Costa Mesa Eye Styles for Lifestyles, was looking to refinance a series of business loans. After borrowing from large banks and the Small Business Administration over the years, he was ready for something new. His interest rates were high and he wanted to restructure to get a better deal. "I've worked with a lot of large banks over the years and they can be very restrictive in the way they do small business loans," Glass said.

While recognition by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a national champion is nothing to sneeze about, the honor isn't what made Wendy Navarro tear up Monday. The Costa Mesa store owner got misty-eyed when talking about her 17-year-old daughter, Saige Nicole, whose name was used for Navarro's baby and toddler boutique in 2006. "It's so wonderful when she comes to me after she's seen an article on the store and says, 'Mom, I'm so proud of you,'" Navarro said. Navarro, alongside other business leaders, will be honored June 5 at the SBA's 49th annual Small Business Week Awards Celebration in Anaheim.

NEWPORT BEACH — The audience cheered and clapped every time Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina threw a jab at Sen. Barbara Boxer. "She's ineffective and can't get anything done," she said. But other than that, the former technology executive didn't give many details on how she plans to do a better job than her Democratic opponent during the Grass Roots Community Forum at the Newport Beach Golf Course's "Tee Room" on Tuesday. "She painted a broad brush," said Tom Pollitt, a Costa Mesa resident.

Have a cow at ice cream shop on Balboa Island A new outlet for frozen treats will open on Balboa Island Saturday. Maggie Moo's will be the newest ice cream shop on the island when it opens this weekend at 302 Marine Ave. Maggie Moo's offers more than 40 flavors of ice cream made fresh in the store and more than 30 toppings such as M & M's and fresh strawberries that are mixed into the ice cream. The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.