Hi all! Today’s National Sloppy Joe Day; did you know that the dish may have roots in Cuba’s Havana of the 1930s? I’m back with your fresh edition of the Orange County Patch newsletter. Here’s what you need to know about what’s happening in the community today. Today you’ll find news about…

  • 🤔 Capistrano’s search for a superintendent
  • 🥇 A shoutout to two Los Al HS students
  • 🤝 Seal Beach appointments

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🌤️ But first, today’s weather:

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Partly sunny. High: 76 Low: 53.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

World at 1702 N Broadway in Santa Ana, $4.59

Costco at 22633 Savi Ranch Pkwy. in Yorba Linda, $4.59

ARCO at 2749 N El Camino Real in San Clemente, $4.65

😋 Fair Food Poll!

Fair food is the ultimate cheat meal. Although we all know it’s unhealthy, everyone has a guilty pleasure. Which is your favorite?

  • 28.3% Funnel cake
  • 22.6% Candy apples
  • 15.1% Corndogs
  • 5.7% Guacamole
  • 3.8% Cotton candy, Cheesecake, Tri-Tip sandwiches
  • 1.9% Turkey legs, Guacamole with cheese, Pork chop on a stick. Deep-friend bacon-wrapped pickle, Cinnamon rolls, Spicy sausage link on a French roll, Fried cheese curds

The rest have the willpower to stay away from fair food.

📰 Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

  1. A shoutout to Tustin Police Officer Joseph Cossack! We learned on Friday that he had a gut feeling that something was wrong during a November traffic stop near El Camino Real and Main Street. Rather than dismissing his intuition, he followed up on it. As a result, he caught two suspects driving a stolen Chevrolet Impala, but he also found evidence that could connect them to 78 other vehicle thefts. It’s interesting to note that Officer Cossack had arrested one of the suspects two weeks prior in – another (allegedly) stolen car. (Patch)
  2. If you’re looking for some luxurious new digs in Costa Mesa, consider the Halcyon House at 585 Anton Boulevard. The developer opened the “393-unit luxury community in the City of the Arts neighborhood.” The units are gorgeous and centrally located; however, you need to have ready cash. One-bedroom units start at $3,000 (Multi Housing News, Halcyon House)
  3. The Capistrano Unified School District is looking for a superintendent and wants your input before locating one. The District invites survey responses on its current state and “characteristics (respondents) think are necessary for a superintendent.” If you’d like to attend an in-person meeting, head to Capistrano Valley High School on March 20 or Aliso Niguel High School on March 27. The survey remains live until March 31, and the Board of Trustees will see the tallied results on April 19. (The Capistrano Dispatch)
  4. You have new commissioners if you live in districts one, three, and five in Seal Beach. In District One, Councilman Joe Kalmick appointed Calvin Mingione to the Planning Commission; he replaces Steve Miller. For District 3, Councilwoman Lisa Landau appointed Susan Perrell, who replaces Richard Coles on the Environmental Quality Control Board. Coles moves to the Planning Commission, where he replaces Michael Thomas. Lorenz Krueger joins the Recreation and Parks Commission. In District 5, Councilman Nathan Steele appointed Donald Horning to the Environmental Quality Control Board, Hope Horning to the City Tree Advisory Board, and Marilyn Van Dyke to the Coyote Committee and the Historic Preservation Committee. Margo Wheeler will go to the Planning Commission to replace Mariann Klinger. Finally, Peter Franck is now part of the Seal Beach Cable Communications Foundation. (Sun Newspapers)
  5. Earlier this week, the Rossmoor Woman’s Club honored Los Alamitos High School seniors Brooke Engel and Charlotte Wilson as Students of the Month for February and March. Engel mentors and tutors students as part of the “Griffins Help Griffins” Program. Wilson is instrumental in the workings of the Woman in STEM Club as well as several other clubs. In addition to bragging rights, each winner received a $600 scholarship check. Congratulations! (Event NewsEnterprise)

📆 Today in Orange County:

  • Craft Day All Day at the Library of the Canyons in Silverado (9 AM)
  • Clay Hand Building Workshop with Hadley and Ren in Costa Mesa (10 AM)
  • Shelley Komarov Lectures on “Embroidery: From the Hermitage Collection to Hollywood” at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana (1:30 PM)
  • Merkababe Designs invites you to a Goddess Mixer in Laguna Beach (5 PM)
  • The Irvine Barclay Theatre presents “Swan Lake” (7 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

  • “🌈 You probably won’t find a pot of gold in our parks, but you may be lucky enough to see some festive golden flowers! 🍀 If you think these spring blooms sham-rock, we a-green.” (OC Parks via Instagram)
  • “The newest inductees for the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in August will celebrate surfing in the Olympics, with ISA President Fernando Aguerre and gold medalist Italo Ferreira honored.” (Orange County Register via Facebook)
  • “Introducing our 2023 Torchbearer Award Honoree Flint! Flint (they/them) is a nonbinary public high school teacher and social media content creator who has been working to foster a more patient, loving, and accepting world for queer youth.” (LGBTQ Center, Orange County, via Facebook)
  • “Rancho Santa Margarita business owners are urged by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to join in on the department’s next Business Watch meeting on Friday, March 24.” (Patch)
  • “Join us on Saturday, March 25th as the Anaheim Ducks take on the St. Louis Blues! Anyone is welcome to purchase tickets, so visit anaheimducks.com/ymca to score your discounted tickets today!” (YMCA OF ORANGE COUNTY via Facebook)

🏡 What are homes selling for these days in Orange County?

  • Median Listing Home Price $1M
  • Median Listing Home Price/Square Foot $598
  • Median Sold Home Price $955.4K

Check out more Orange County real estate information!

🐶 Meet Orange County area Pets Available To Be Adopted!

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Featured events:

  • Project Access Pickleball Tournament, presented by Freespeed Aviation, LLC (March 23)
  • Hop to It! Caring Bunny Returns to Brea Mall for Easter (March 26)
  • The Wine Militia – Secret POP-UP Blind Wine Tasting featuring Pinot Noir (April 12)
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Alrighty, you’re all caught up for today! I’ll see you around.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don’t judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orange County Patch newsletter? Contact me at [email protected]

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