Few things on earth are more expensive than a megayacht — it’s a private, fully staffed, floating resort for the ultrawealthy. Shows like Below Deck provide a glimpse of life onboard, but the reality is even more surreal, says a former stewardess who worked on yachts for more than a decade. Her bosses were yacht owners (so, billionaires), and her job was to anticipate and manage their every whim in close quarters. Here, she talks about what yacht crews hate the most (inflatable slides), the indignity of scrubbing self-tanner off of white upholstery, and the weirdest ways that the super-rich spend their money.

Working on a yacht, you’re in a very intimate space with these extremely wealthy people. What is that like?
You’re a fly on the wall, but it’s very one-sided. You learn so much about the owners and guests, and they’re not learning anything about you. As a stewardess, I was doing food service and housekeeping and going through people’s personal belongings, folding their underwear and putting it away. I would overhear conversations, on the phone or in person. This is kind of graphic, but you even learn stuff like how frequently they poop. In yachting, anytime somebody washes their hands, the stewardess dries out the sink afterward. If they put something in the trash, you empty it right away. Every time you go check the bathroom, you make it look untouched. So you learn all their habits. With my previous boss, I would get a sense, like, “oh, he hasn’t eaten in a few hours. He probably wants a snack.” And I would put together a snack for him, and he’d come out and say, “Oh, I was just about to ask you for this.”

How did you get into the industry?
I met a friend of a friend who was on a yacht crew. At the time, I was one year out of college, working a miserable office job and paying student loans. I had always played it really safe, and I was itching to break out of my shell. I thought, I have 40 years to work at a desk job. I’ll give this a try for a little bit. Then, I ended up doing it off and on for 12 years.

I started in Fort Lauderdale, which is the U.S. capital of yachting, and I rented a bed in what’s called a crew house. It’s like a hostel for yacht crew, and people stay there when they’re between jobs. You typically pay by the week. I took a weeklong course called the STCW, which teaches things like basic firefighting, basic first aid, sea survival. When you complete it, you can start looking for work. At the time, I think the course cost about $1,000, and you have to take a refresher every five years. I also took an additional course that teaches about how to handle pirates.

What was your first job?
I didn’t know what I was walking into. I worked for a bachelor who had multiple boats and used them exclusively to throw parties. It was wild. In most cases, we were just tied up to the dock, because then you can have more people onboard. The guests were typically girls in their early 20s, blonde, skinny. They would all say they were models. Then, there would be a small handful of 45-ish-year-old men, lots of vodka and diet Red Bulls. We were always hiring bathroom attendants to try to limit drug use on board. The captain had to have talks with the owner about it, too, because his license would be impacted if anything were to happen. One morning, I woke up, went upstairs, and saw a girl giving a guy a blowjob on the deck. Nobody saw me, so I just turned around and walked back down. I never saw anything that seemed involuntary. I think the girls were aware that they weren’t going to find the love of their lives there.

I never had any issues with how people treated me on that job. I’m not that tall — no one is going to mistake me for a model — and I was wearing a uniform. The problem was that it was just messy. Most yachts have white carpets and white couches and white bath towels, and here were all these girls with self-tanner rubbing off on everything, spilling drinks, and leaving half-drunk cups everywhere. At a certain point that felt almost disrespectful. We had to schedule crew to be awake 24 hours because there was usually some straggler up until dawn. One morning, I was cleaning up this huge mess, and I remember looking out over the water and thinking, What am I doing with my life? Why did I leave my friends and family behind to work on this boat, cleaning up after people who don’t even know my name? We were working all the time, constantly on call. If the owner wasn’t around, he’d tell his friends to use his boat. When I left, I swore I would never do parties like that again — I just wanted to work with families.

My next job was working for a really old guy, over 85. Older owners are very different. Unless they have grandkids, they don’t use water toys, like inflatables and Jet Skis. And you wouldn’t believe how much time it takes to set up water toys, take them down, clean them, and maintain them. Inflatable slides are the worst. Yacht crews hate them. They’re very heavy and they take a long time to put up. And, of course, you’ll spend all this time setting it up, and then the owner or principal guest will say, “You know what? I don’t like the spot. Let’s move the boat.” And you have to take it all down again.

The older guy I worked for, he was very routine and polite. But he was also very flirtatious with me, even when his wife was around. I was 25 at the time, and he said to me on multiple occasions, “You can come down to my cabin after you’re done tonight.” I never felt threatened by it, and the captain was aware of it. But there’s no doubt that I was sexually harassed for the year I worked for him. It was mostly just annoying — the awkward smile, nervous laughter. But aside from that, he was great to work for.

Sometimes, the wives can feel threatened by pretty stewardesses. But I think I’m just unattractive enough that no wife is going to be threatened by me. You do see some interesting marital setups, though. I’ve worked for more than one couple with separate master rooms. There’s one boat in particular where the owner, who is pretty well known, had a long-term mistress. When he would use the boat with his family, they’d have family photos out and all the wife’s things in the closet. And then when the mistress came, the crew would have to put away the family stuff and replace the wife’s things with hers. They were always flip-flopping.

What about privacy? Did you ever work with celebrities who were worried about paparazzi?
Most yachts are very private, and even the outdoor areas have some level of privacy. The bigger issue is on land. Paparazzi will hang out at the private airports or near certain restaurants. But not that many celebrities own yachts, actually. Their net worth aren’t high enough. Yacht-owning money is next level. Yachts are so expensive that most of the owners are just businessmen you’ve never heard of. You couldn’t tell them apart from some other grandpa. I definitely had celebrity guests from time to time, but they were always friends of the owner or charter guests.

Did you always live onboard?
Yes, almost always. The free housing was important to me. Most crew cabins are set up with a bunk bed. About half the time, I was sharing with another crew member, and half the time, I wasn’t. The cabins have very little storage, so I barely had any stuff — just the bag that I lived out of, the uniforms I wore. I was fine with it. Some crew members get a storage unit, but I just kept a couple of things at my parents’ house, like a nice pair of leather boots and a long winter coat that I obviously didn’t need on the boat.

The last boat I worked on was really small; it was for weekend travel, and the crew cabins weren’t set up to be truly livable. So we all stayed ashore in the Hamptons. That’s actually quite common out there; a lot of people have smaller boats, and they rent housing for the crew. But the housing in the Hamptons is absurd. One of the places they rented for us was a two-bed, one-bath apartment with no air-conditioning, and it was $12,000 a month. It was covered by my employer, but paying for my half would have wiped out my salary. Another house where we stayed was listed at $75,000 for the summer.

What were your hours like?
When you don’t have guests onboard, a typical day is 8 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. A lot of people don’t realize how much time you spend at the dock or anchored with no guests. These yachts are full of equipment that needs repairs all the time. Things need to be taken apart and cleaned and maintained. You have to wash the whole boat regularly.

Then, when you do have guests on, you’re typically working 16-hour days, every day, for the duration of the trip, which could be three weeks or longer. I often worked from 5 or 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. I’m a morning person, so if there was another stewardess, I’d take the early shift and she would do nights. You have a stewardess available at every hour that guests are awake. Sometimes, you have certain guests who get up early and others who stay up until 1 or 2 a.m. having drinks. If you’re a solo stewardess, you might not get a break.

When you’re crossing oceans, that’s a very different experience, and there’s usually never guests onboard. You’re bobbing around a lot. Everything’s stowed or tied down so it doesn’t break. Glass objects or decorations are tucked away and strapped down. I worked for one guy who wanted to go on a longer trip like that with his guests, and the weather was not looking good. We advised him against it, but he didn’t want to change plans. So we had an extremely bumpy trip and almost everyone got seasick. We had someone throwing up over the side of the boat. We had people fighting over the bathrooms. The owner’s daughter threw up on the floor. I was sick too, but I was also working, so I was trying to pretend like everything was okay, giving guests buckets and cold towels and cleaning up other people’s puke. The owner did feel really bad, and he gave all of us $500 as a bonus.

What kind of salary did you make?
You’re salaried by the month, typically. Pay is largely influenced by the size of the boat and your experience level. Starting salaries for stewardesses are between $2,500 and $3,500 a month. I got lucky in my first job and was making $4,000 out of the gate with no experience. I was paid up to $7,500 or $8,500 by the end of my career, especially if I was working on a bigger boat. And your housing and food are covered, because you’re living on the boat. You also get health insurance. My take-home pay could vary a lot. I think the most I ever made was maybe $120,000 a year. Which, especially in your 20s, not paying rent, is good money. It’s also pretty common to get an annual bonus, sometimes one month’s salary.

If you’re working on a charter, guests are expected to tip at least 20 percent. It doesn’t always happen, though. I once did a ten-day charter with a family over Christmas and New Year’s. We should have been tipped thousands, but instead my tip was $300. When people tip badly, sometimes they get blacklisted — if a charter broker hears that their client didn’t tip, they might not want to work with them in the future. Word goes around, and then maybe the captain or the owner won’t want to rent their boat with that charter broker anymore. The industry is small and people gossip a lot. Reputation is important.

There’s also a lot of demand in the industry — it’s grown a ton over the last couple of years. During COVID, anyone who owned boats was using them all the time, and anyone who didn’t went out and bought them. There’s still a wait list for yachts being built. It created a huge demand for crew. So I was working nonstop.

What else would cause someone to be blacklisted?
Being really heinous to the crew or trashing the boat. The last guy I worked for, I’m pretty sure he was blacklisted by a number of charter agents. He had his own smaller boat, but he also liked to charter big boats once or twice a year. And he always had to charter a different boat, probably because he wasn’t welcome back on previous boats — they would just say it was unavailable.

The word they use in the industry is particular — as in, “Oh, that owner is very particular.” A lot of owners have certain ways they want things done. And once you learn them, it’s routine and can be easily managed. This guy, whenever he wanted something, he would want it immediately. One time, he caused a huge scene at the front desk at a resort in the Bahamas, to the point where hundreds of people were staring. He wanted his kids to have a “fast pass” at the water park at the resort so that they could skip lines; that’s offered somewhere like Disney, but they didn’t have it at this resort. Initially, he asked the crew to arrange it for him, and when they couldn’t, he got angry and went to the front desk himself. After making this huge fuss, he disappeared into the back with the manager for a while and then came back out with a guy wearing a T-shirt that had “Fast Pass” written on it with a marker. There’s no doubt in my mind that he paid someone off and got this guy to escort the kids around, like a human fast pass, so they could cut the lines. That owner was a piece of work. But I also worked for plenty of people who were lovely.

Was it crazy to watch how some of these people spent money?
I worked on a 47-meter boat that chartered for $250,000 a week. And that just covers use of the boat and crew; it doesn’t include fuel, food, or other fees. So, you could see how these numbers add up very quickly, especially if people are taking a private jet to and from the boat, which they often are.

I worked for one family who was incredibly cheap. They drank off-brand soda, like the grocery-store brand. They would also steal towels from resorts. If they ever went to a beach, they would come back with the towel from the lounge chair. Other people weren’t intentionally cheap — they were just no frills. I worked for a family from the Midwest who, if you saw them, you wouldn’t know that they were multimillionaires. They’re just meat-and-potatoes, vanilla-ice-cream kind of people. Their kids shop at H&M. At one point, we needed a new welcome mat on the boat, so I asked the owner’s wife if I could buy one, and she just went to Kmart and bought one herself.

Another owner was an elaborate spender. He always wanted to outdo his friends. He would have these hugely over-the-top birthdays. One year, he spent more than $50,000 just on a fireworks show. He wanted the premium version of every water toy, the fastest Jet Ski with the most features. He would go to a restaurant and order everything on the whole menu, even if it was just two people at the table and they were going to throw most of the food away.

Did it ever affect the way that you spent money, to see how these people were living?
I was always careful with my money. But some crew members aren’t. Part of the problem is that the places where yachts go are very expensive, so as soon as you get off the boat, you’re spending a lot. A gallon of milk in the Bahamas is like $11. If you take a taxi ride, it’s easily $100. Then, some people get caught up in the lifestyle. For guys, it was always about the watch. The owner’s got a nice watch; the captain has a nice watch; they want to get a nice watch too. Which is fine for them, but it wasn’t something I cared about. Who am I going to impress? Not the owners; they have millions of dollars and $100,000 Rolexes. The area where I spent money was travel. I’d work for a couple of seasons and then take a break. I backpacked around the South Pacific and in Asia several times. And I was a budget traveler, so I was able to stretch my money really far.

Were you able to save money?
Yes, quite a bit. When I left, I had over $100,000 in cash and over $350,000 invested. It’s good money, but there are so many sacrifices that come with it. When you break it down to an hourly rate, the pay is not great. And you don’t have control over when you’re working. That was a big reason why I finally left; your whole life is very much dependent on another person’s movement. And they always want to have their options open. I knew someone who had to quit a job because the owner wouldn’t let her take time off to go to her best friend’s wedding. I knew another guy who missed his brother’s wedding. The owner was like, “You need to be here,” and then he didn’t even end up using the boat that day.

Was it hard to make the transition back to a more traditional job?
When you’ve worked on a boat, a lot of people in the corporate world do not take you seriously. Below Deck is their only point of reference. But my skills as a stewardess are very transferable. I was lucky; I did some networking and leaned into other work experience that helped me secure a position in tech that pays over six figures, but that’s very rare. I think my stewardess experience is incredibly helpful in my current job, particularly in managing other people. I’ve been around multimillionaire CEOs for years; I’m not easily intimidated, and I can work and stay composed under pressure.

I do miss it sometimes. The office view was great, and it was different every day. The work was always interesting, and I was good at it. I never struggled to find a job. I do think I stayed for too long — I should have left the party a little sooner. But I’m glad I did it.

Email your money conundrums to [email protected] (and read our submission terms here.)

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– BPT567 is the first bifunctional PD1-IL18 immunoconjugate to enter clinical development –

– The Phase 1/2a study is evaluating BPT567 in patients with locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic solid tumors –

BASEL, Switzerland and SAN DIEGO, October 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bright Peak Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of multifunctional immunotherapies for cancer, today announced that the first patient in the phase 1/2a study evaluating BPT567, an investigational bifunctional PD1-IL18 immunoconjugate.

BPT567 is designed to combine two key immunostimulatory mechanisms of action in a single molecule, including coordinated PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade coupled with targeted delivery of IL-18 to T cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). IL-18 is known as a master regulator of innate and adaptive immunity and a driver of the host immune response to cancer. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that BPT567 mediates potent, synergistic antitumor activity superior to PD-1 blockade alone in both PD-1-sensitive and PD-1-resistant tumor models.

While PD-1 inhibitors have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, Bright Peak is actively investigating whether the multifunctional biology of BPT567 could not only lead to improved efficacy compared to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade alone in indications where checkpoint Inhibitors are approved, but also show activity in settings where checkpoint inhibitors have not previously worked, or in patients who have experienced progression or recurrence despite prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy, all of which are important areas of unmet need needs for cancer patients.

“Dosing the first patient in this study represents a significant and exciting milestone in our mission to provide patients with advanced solid tumors with a potentially transformative PD-1-based treatment option,” said Fredrik Wiklund, Chief Executive Officer of Bright Peak.

Jon Wigginton, MD, President of Research and Development at Bright Peak, added: “Preclinical studies of BPT567 have shown very encouraging results and we are committed to further exploring the dual mechanism of BPT567, which we believe may have the potential to to deliver effective antitumor agents.” Effectiveness, including in patients who have not responded to conventional PD-1 inhibitors alone and in new indications where current PD-1 inhibitors are not approved. We look forward to advancing this important Phase 1/2a trial in collaboration with participating patients and leading immuno-oncology centers.”

About the Phase 1/2a study
The study is an open-label, dose-escalation clinical trial to assess the safety, antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of BPT567 in patients with locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. The study includes a dose escalation phase followed by dose expansion across multiple tumor types and patient populations. Around 100 patients are expected to take part in the study.

About Bright Peak Therapeutics
Bright Peak Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of multifunctional immunotherapies for cancer. Using innovative protein engineering and a proprietary platform for chemical protein synthesis and conjugation, Bright Peak is developing a pipeline of world-class multifunctional molecules. The company’s lead program, BPT567, is a bifunctional PD1-IL18 immunoconjugate aimed at activating and enhancing immune responses directly in the tumor microenvironment. Bright Peak is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and San Diego, California and is backed by a consortium of leading healthcare investors. For more information, visit www.brightpeaktx.com.

Contact:
[email protected]

ROCHESTER – After a new owner purchased a complex in northwest Rochester for $2.3 million, ActivePT plans to open a large clinical space as a new tenant.

Joan Kopazwhich founded ActivePT in Rochester in 2008, said this future clinic location will be the 15th for its physical therapy practice. After Kopaz started as a single employee, ActivePT now employs 100 people.

The plan is to build a space with 14 clinical rooms in a 4,400 square meter area previously used by patients Rooted School of Massage and Wellness Center. Kopaz hopes to have it completed, staffed and ready to open by early 2015.

The 10,800-square-foot building at 4229 West Frontage Road is across from and nearby Broadway Pizza Mayo Clinic’s northwest medical complex. SalonCentric and the non-profit MagiKids by Weirdcards are among the other tenants.

Kopaz said this location is a good fit for ActivePT.

“Convenience is really important when people need physiotherapy as this often means more than just once a week visits. That close proximity, ideally within a 15-minute drive for patients, is what we want to achieve,” she said. “Location wise, this building was very appealing because it is so close to (Highway) 52. It gives people easy access to this place, and that was a big appeal for us.”

ActivePT’s most recent office opening was last summer Island Fitness Pine Island Gym. Kopaz has five offices in Rochester, as well as offices in Byron, Plainview, Stewartville, Lake City, Mantorville, St. Charles and Preston.

Another positive aspect of the new Frontage Road location is that the new owner, TW Holdingsplans to refresh the 32-year-old building, starting with the parking lot.

“We are excited about the improvements the new owners will make to the property,” Kopaz added.

TW Holdings, led by Henna Kalsipurchased the Frontage Road complex on Sept. 30 with a $460,000 down payment on the $2.3 million purchase price.

Rochester broker Jay Christenson of Loam Commercial Real Estate

represented both TW Holdings and the seller, Corcoran, Minnesotad 4229 W Frontage LLCwhich is led by Steve Eitreim. Eitreim’s company bought it in 2021 for $2.2 million.

Olmsted County estimated the building’s 2024-2025 market value at $1.87 million.

Racing is full of disappointing stories about horses that are purchased for a seven-figure price but are never able to repay their owner anywhere near the money they paid to sign that huge check.

Then there are horses like Royal Delta, who did not regret her owner paying a royal ransom for her, even if she did not pay a huge price for it.

The story of Royal Delta actually consists of two chapters.

The first came during her 2- and 3-year-old seasons, when she was owned by her breeder, Prince Saud bin Khaled, and trained by Bill Mott, winning the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (known as…) (then Women’s Classic) and became champion of three-year-old fillies in 2011.

But when bin Khalid died in 2011, Royal Delta participated in the November Keeneland breeding stock sale. There, Benjamin Leon of Besilu Stables bought her for an astronomical $8.5 million.

In retaining Royal Delta with Mott, Leon was rewarded with two fantastic years in which the daughter of Empire Maker raced 14 times, recorded seven wins and earned just over $3.1 million, as well as two Eclipse Awards.

Royal Delta’s career began promisingly. While Mott isn’t known for his success with first-time starters, Royal Delta was primed for an eye-opening performance in their debut. Despite being released at odds of 7:1, she overcame some traffic problems to claim an amazing 12-length victory at Belmont Park on October 30, 2010.

While that was her only start as a two-year-old, it was impressive enough to set high expectations for her three-year-old season, and Royal Delta didn’t disappoint – for the most part.

After an impressive ninth-place finish in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs early in her 2011 season, Royal Delta picked up victories in a Keeneland allowance race and the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico.

After finishing third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, Royal Delta returned four weeks later and rose to the top of the three-year-old filly class by posting a 5½-length ramp over It’s Tricky in the famous Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at the spa.

Royal Delta, testing against older bitches for the first time, was no match for 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, finishing second behind her by 8 ¼ lengths in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park.

But when Havre de Grace’s connections opted for the Breeders’ Cup Classic instead of the Ladies’ Classic, Royal Delta was able to start as a 2-1 favorite at the World Championships and record the first of her Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic victories.

Ridden by Jose Lezcano, Royal Delta pulled away in the final furlong to win the 2011 Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs by 2½ lengths over It’s Tricky.

After the sale, in her first start for Leon, Royal Delta finished second in the Sabin Stakes at Gulfstream Park and then made an ambitious push against the men in the 2012 Dubai World Cup, where she finished ninth.

The long and unsuccessful trip to Dubai had no lasting impact on Royal Delta, however, as she recorded victories in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs and the Delaware Handicap upon her return to the United States.

The 3-5 favorite in the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, she finished second to Love and Pride, who finished fourth in the Del’Cap, but that was her final setback of 2012.

Royal Delta won the Beldame by 9 ½ lengths and then closed the year with a 1 ½ length victory over My Miss Aurelia under jockey Mike Smith, becoming only the second horse to win consecutive Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Women’s Classic and secure an Eclipse Award as this year’s Senior Women’s Champion.

Mott followed the same script he used for Royal Delta’s 5-year-old season in 2012. This time she won the Sabin but finished 10th at the Dubai World Cup.

She won the Del’ Cap again after a second in the Fleur de Lis and avenged her defeat in the 2012 Personal Ensign by finishing 4½ lengths ahead of Authenticity as the 1-2 favorite.

The Beldame was scheduled to be her final preparation for the Breeders’ Cup, but this time as the 3-10 betting favorite she lost by two lengths to three-year-old Kentucky Oaks and Alabama winner Princess of Sylmar.

This set the stage for a rematch at Santa Anita Park in the Breeders’ Cup showcase race for fillies and mares, which once again adopted its original name, Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Royal Delta and Princess of Sylmar were the two favorites in the distaff, but it was Beholder who was best by 4 ¼ lengths over Close Hatches, trained by Mott for Juddmonte Farms.

Royal Delta was second in the early stages but couldn’t keep up in the final corner and finished fourth in the field of six as the 7-5 favorite.

The 2013 Breeders’ Cup Distaff proved to be the final race for Royal Delta, who was once again crowned champion senior dirt bitch and retired with her third Eclipse Award in tow.

She left the circuit with a record of 12 wins in 22 starts, with six of the wins coming in Grade 1 stakes, and earnings of $4,811,126. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.

Royal Delta was sent to Ireland to become a broodmare, but sadly she died in February 2017 after suffering complications during the birth of her first foal, a daughter of Galileo.

It was a tragic, heartbreaking end for such a great champion who gave Leon his all in terms of excitement and satisfaction.

“I have had many great moments in my life, but the joy and joy that Royal Delta has brought me and my family is indescribable,” he said. “It gave us the opportunity to enjoy wonderful places, people and experiences. She was a gift that gave us many exciting moments and we will forever be grateful to her.”

Note: This feature was originally published and updated in December 2018.

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Fun facts

• Royal Delta and Bayakoa (1989-90) are the only horses to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in consecutive years.
• At the time, Royal Delta’s sale price of $8.5 million was the third-highest price ever achieved at auction for a racing prospect or broodmare, trailing only Better Than Honor ($14 million) and Ashado ( 9 million US dollars).
• In her honor, Gulfstream Park renamed the Sabin Stakes the Royal Delta Stakes.

Local baker Michael Milch may have celiac disease — a severe autoimmune reaction to gluten — but that hasn’t affected his diet or his sense of humor.

The disorder, which also affects his 10-year-old daughter, prompted him to focus his career on making gluten-free treats not taste “crappy,” he said.

His Los Osos-based registered cottage kitchen, which launched in 2022 as Salty Bagel, has exceeded Milch’s wildest expectations and now has him dreaming of one day opening his own shop.

“The extent of [the business’ growth] “Sometimes it really trips me up,” Milch said.

“When I first started, I did prepaid drops here and there in different parts of the county. I posted where I would be a week or two in advance and people pre-ordered. I baked everything in the morning and then hung around outside an unsuspecting store for a while with a small folding table, a sign, and a box full of orders. In one busy week I used about 30 pounds of bagel dough.

“In contrast, I’m now in three markets a week plus Harvestly and looking for more,” he said.

“At the height of tourist season this summer, I went through about 150 pounds of bagel dough in a week – enough for about 475 bagels – plus 30 pounds of cookie dough and 10 pounds each of muffin and banana bread dough.” Milch continued, noting that he started doing that too I tried to make flatbreads that were not only gluten-free but also vegan. “They are quickly becoming bestsellers.”

Milch’s Bakery now includes an outlet in The Kitchen Terminal SLO, helping him keep up with demand while juggling the duties of stay-at-home dad and “trophy husband” for his two middle school students and his wife, who owns a dental practice “ juggles practice in Atascadero.

“Between school pick-up and drop-off times on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, my assistant Sara Sydnor and I are in the Kitchen Terminal preparing for the weekly markets,” he said. “On Thursdays we bake during the day when I drop my children off at school. Then I pick her up, take her to the kitchen for a while, take her to dance class, and then return to the kitchen to clean before heading out [Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market].

“I wake up damn early on Fridays to bake at home for Cambria Market and fulfill my Harvestly orders. I bake everything for Harvestly the same day it’s delivered because the idea of ​​someone getting stale bagels makes me physically uncomfortable.”

Thanks to Harvestly, milk’s goods can be delivered to locals’ doorsteps, from Orcutt to Paso Robles.

The week ends with him arriving at the Kitchen Terminal at 5 a.m. Saturday to bake for the downtown Morro Bay market.

Milch’s sweet and savory baked goods use only the “greatest ingredients,” he boasts, including organic produce and King Arthur’s gluten-free all-purpose flour, which drives up the price a bit. But he won’t save. He also enjoys experimenting with recipes and ensuring the menu stays fresh and interesting.

“There are always new flavors coming out,” he said, “but they tend to be pretty spontaneous.” We started selling Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Bagels a few weeks ago, the same day we thought of it came.

“We have that [also] We have put a lot of creative energy into expanding our vegan flatbread range. Last week we had garlic and herbs, heirloom tomatoes and basil, another with golden potatoes marinated in gluten-free Bachan barbecue sauce… and the latest was rainbow carrots, Japanese sweet potatoes, drizzled gochujang and lemon tahini. Sounds complicated; tastes fantastic.”

Milch’s culinary career grew out of a series of setbacks, starting with his celiac disease diagnosis in 2016.

“Before Salty Bagel, I was something of a journeyman writer,” he explained. “I was a speechwriter and an unproduced screenwriter. I worked at Mindbody for three or four years before the pandemic, initially as [user-experience] Author, then as a marketing author.”

Then he was released.

However, he added: “The real turning point came after the pandemic, when my father died in June 2021 from metastatic cancer that seemingly came out of nowhere.”

“I was fortunate to be able to spend his final weeks with him in Buffalo, where I grew up,” he continued. “But when fall came and my kids went back to school and I still didn’t have a job, I didn’t really know what to do with myself.

“Baking was my escape. I made bagels for the first time in October just to make them, but they turned out much better than I expected. The whole thing kind of crystallized there.”

Long term, Milch hopes to help establish the Central Coast as “a gluten-free culinary destination, much like it is a wine destination.”

“There is a huge, untapped market for this type of experience,” he said. “Traveling is extremely stressful for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance; It’s not a given that you’ll find a safe place to eat anywhere, let alone a place that is safe And yummy.”

He added that he was happy to say that everything is now starting to change.

“Little by little, more and more companies are doing it [opening] on the Central Coast that [are] gluten-free and excellent…from small bakers like Katie Bug Bakes and Rainbow Poppy to established companies like Hidden Kitchen,” he said.

“I’d like to think Salty Bagel is a part of it,” he added, but he’s just getting started.

Ultimately, he hopes to open “a place that has bagels during the day and pizza at night,” pointing out that before there was Salty Bagel, it was “almost Grumpy Pizza.”

Contributing writer Cherish Whyte will be stopping by Salty Bagel again for tasty treats and fun puns. Reach them at [email protected].

CHICAGO – Clear skies are expected to allow Chicago residents to see the brightest supermoon of the year on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

According to NASA, a supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit. It can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than if the moon were farthest from Earth.

According to AstroPixels, Thursday’s supermoon will be the closest full moon of the year and will be about 222,056 miles from Earth.

The moon will rise after 6 p.m. Thursday and reach its highest point around midnight, with “99 percent illumination,” National Weather Service meteorologist Ricky Castro said.

Known as the “Hunter’s Moon,” this supermoon follows the Harvest Moon, the full moon that signals the end of the growing season. The name Hunter’s Moon refers to the hunting season that follows the fall harvest.

Castro recommends watching the moon along the lakeshore to ensure the most unobstructed view and minimal light pollution.

This year’s Harvest Moon in mid-September also coincided with a lunar eclipse.

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Antioch police announced Thursday the arrest of 46-year-old Mark Taylor in connection with a double murder.

On October 16 at 4:10 p.m., Antioch police officers responded to 2600 Fairmont Lane for a welfare check. Shortly after their arrival, they discovered the bodies of a man and a woman in an advanced state of decomposition.

Officers contacted the suspect, Mark Taylor, as he tried to leave the house.

It later emerged that Taylor was the dead woman’s son and the male victim’s half-brother.

The Antioch Police Department’s Bureau of Investigation, comprised of crime scene investigators and detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit, took over the investigation. Investigators concluded that Taylor murdered his mother and half-brother.

Taylor was arrested on two counts of murder and booked into the Contra Costa County Detention Center in Martinez.

• FILE: 24-009376
• INCIDENT: Double Murder
• DATE OF INCIDENT: October 16, 2024
• TIME OF INCIDENT: 4:10 p.m
• LOCATION: 2600 Fairmont Lane
• VICTIM: 39-year-old man
• 65 year old woman
• ARRESTED: Mark Taylor (46-year-old man)

This crime remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time. Further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau. Further inquiries, tips or other information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Adam Duffy at (925)779-6884 or via email [email protected] .

Recent Antioch Police Stories:

Helldivers 2 is back with a bang since the influx of buffs in September, and the game has gotten even better thanks to the recent addition of more buffs and changes. While the balance changes and improvements are great, many players are also eagerly awaiting new content. Nothing is official at the moment, but Leaks have revealed exciting details about a Helldivers 2 Hellbot that could resemble Xûr in Destiny.

Be sure to check out the update 01.001.104 patch notes to see all of the recent changes implemented by Arrowhead. This patch destroyed one of the coolest weapons in the game, but on the other hand, it also made for an insanely good jump pack improvement. The patch is mostly amazing, but it doesn’t mean the end of the awesomeness for October, with the Liberty Day release date less than two weeks away.

Freedom Day will be a big day for Helldivers 2. While datamines have revealed new armor that could be given to players during the Super Earth holiday, other recent leaks have revealed details about a Hellbot that could potentially join HD2 in the future.

New Helldivers 2 Hellbot leaks

Helldivers 2 leaker IronS1ghts has released more details about a possible new Helldivers 2 addition called Hellbot. According to the leaker, the Hellbot functions as a shop and consists of three sections:

• Generally
• Premium cosmetics
• Rare war strategies

IronS1ghts claims that players can “sell items to the Hellbot for requisition slips” and that “the value of the items is controlled by an ‘index’ system.” Finally, the leaker also claims that “Hellbot can still fight in the game, but this may be phased out.”

(Leak) New Hellbot features#Helldivers2

The Hellbot has three shop areas:
“Generally”
“Premium cosmetics”
“Rare acts of war”

You can sell items to the Hellbot in exchange for Requisition Tickets.
The value of the items is controlled by an “index” system. pic.twitter.com/CoD92vQEXs

— IronS1ghts (@Iron_S1ghts) October 15, 2024

Judging by the leaks, the Hellbot sounds similar to Xûr in Destiny. For Destiny 2, Xûr is a merchant who sells exotic items in exchange for strange coins and legendary shards. Provided the Hellbot Trader comes to Helldivers 2, players will be able to purchase common items, premium cosmetics, and rare Stratagems, as well as sell items for Requisition Tickets.

In Destiny 2, Xûr’s location changes every week and he is only there from Friday until the weekly reset. The Hellbot purchases on offer would be reset, but it is unclear whether they will appear in a specific location or various other locations.

In addition to these new leaks, IronS1ghts also shared animations for the Hellbot in August:

Keep in mind that none of the above statements are official and are just leaks that may not come to fruition. There have been leaks in the past, such as gameplay from players driving vehicles, but that hasn’t happened yet and the Hellbot could suffer a similar fate.

For more information on Helldivers 2, check out our guide to the best war bonds, as well as the best war lists and best throwables. We also have a guide to the best weapons, and if you’re returning to HD2 for the first time in a long time, we’ve got a number of tips and tricks to help you get used to the battlefield again.

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Icelandic budget airline Play plans to obtain a Maltese air operator certificate to diversify its operations as its transatlantic operations come under pressure.

The aim is to support its southern European services and to use the Maltese AOC to base aircraft in Tenerife, serving both Icelandic and other destinations.

Chief Executive Einar Orn Olafsson had hinted at such a strategy in a conversation with FlightGlobal earlier this year, suggesting the airline could use Spanish crews to operate opposite sectors from southern Europe to Iceland.

The airline, which operates a fleet of Airbus single-aisle jets, expects to complete the Maltese AOC process by spring next year.

It states that three or four aircraft will be allocated to the Maltese AOC and six or seven aircraft will be reserved for the Icelandic AOC.

Although the airline says its financial position is “safe” and it has no plans to raise additional funds, it says its full-year profits are likely to fall below last year’s levels.

It attributes this to increased competition, greater capacity and lower yields on transatlantic routes and says that in response it is “reducing” its transatlantic operations and reducing the number of North American destinations “significantly” next year.

In contrast, Play says its point-to-point services have been “popular and profitable from the start” and will focus on that area instead.

“We have observed changes in the market and believe that the Via route network is no longer as profitable as it used to be,” says Olafsson.

He says the diversification plan involves temporarily leasing one of its 10 aircraft to Miami to fly on behalf of US airline GlobalX from November to March.

Olafsson adds that Play is “exploring a year-round project,” without elaborating.

Steam Next Fest is back with literally thousands of sweet and short demos, including an extreme sports sequel that will kick your butt and clear your brain of constipation in minutes.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill easily became my favorite sports game of all time – and one of the best sports games, no matter who you asked – when it came out five years ago. Your blocky biker’s sole purpose was to run down huge mountains, weave through rows of trees, drift around giant rocks, find shortcuts, and shave precious seconds off your run. The sequel, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, now replaces the bikes with skis, swaps the zen forests for serene wintry mountainsides, and has an equally sprightly Steam demo that drew me back to “one more game” about six times.