🌱 Boom Boom Tacos + Santa Ana River Rescue + The Living Lord’s Supper

• ⚠️ Burglars targeting Rancho Santa Margarita restaurants
• 🚧 An OC Fair & Events Center update
• 🌮 Where to find the new Boom Boom Tacos

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🌧️ But first, today’s weather:

Cloudy with afternoon rain. High: 62 Low: 58.

Shoutout to the awesome local business that keeps this newsletter running:

Orange County Homeowners — Ready to save money and enjoy cleaner, renewable energy? The folks at Sunrun, the largest residential solar company in the U.S., can help you assess the impact of solar on your energy bills. If your average electric bill is over $150, you’re eligible to start saving. Solar credits will dramatically decrease in April, so reach out to Steven Chong at Sunrun today to learn how much you can save.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

Mobil at 20002 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach, $4.39

Sinclair at 1101 W Commonwealth Ave. in Fullerton, $4.47

Chevron at 5425 Alton Pkwy. in Irvine, $4.69

😋 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?

📰 Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. Burglars hit seven Rancho Santa Margarita restaurants in 30 (!) minutes on Saturday morning. The restaurateur at Mountain Mike’s Pizza believes “the burglars knew what they were doing when they targeted his restaurant.” The suspects are described as two men wearing hoodies and face coverings. They stole $500 from Lulu’s Caafé. (NBC)
2. A quick-thinking bystander rescued a boy from the Santa Ana River in the vicinity of Santa Ana’s Fairview Street. The child’s father had already entered the river bed, but was unable to rescue his child. The bystander, however, was successful, saw the kid in the quick-moving water, and rescued him. Concurrently, the Orange County Fire Authority launched a Swift Water Rescue, and paramedics were on hand to check out the boy and take him to a hospital. Meanwhile, officials remind you to stay out of the water because “it doesn’t take a lot of water to wash people downriver, where you have many dangerous hazards.” (MSN)
3. What’s happening at the OC Fair & Events Center? On Monday, we learned that the next 10 years will bring an overhaul of the facility. The first thing you’ll see is the administration building getting an expansion with a $25 million price tag. Why start with a building that has little to no customer impact? Well, the next seven phases will displace employees that will need a place to go when their areas are under construction. Phase one “will add more than 15,000 square feet of additional workspace, meeting rooms, storage areas and restrooms, with additional security features.” (The Orange County Register/paywall)
4. On April 6, The Rose Center Theater in Westminster will host “The Living Lord’s Supper.” It’s Leonardo DaVinci’s famous painting as a live musical. “Get ready to be transported back in time as Jesus’ disciples come to life on stage, each sharing their intimate journeys with Christ. . . asking the haunting question, ‘Is it me?'” Insiders describe it as a family-friendly event suitable for kids as young as 5. (Broadway World)
5. WaBa Grill is testing a new dish called “Boom Boom Tacos.” Tortillas are made with flour and corn. Select steak, shrimp, or chicken for the protein. Toppings include slaw and creamy aioli. WaBa Grill says that 14 locations around the Southland will participate in the product test; however, in the O.C., the only place you’ll find it is in Santa Ana at 1703 E McFadden Avenue. (QSR Magazine)

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📆 Today in Orange County:

• Attend The Queen Bee Networks’ Women’s Networking Group at Denny’s in Huntington Beach (8:30 AM)
• The Anaheim Independencia FRC is holding a FREE Diaper Distribution (9:30 AM)
• Head to Polly’s Pies Restaurant & Bakery for FREE Pie on Pi Day (10 AM)
• Bring the kids to a Bilingual Chinese Storytime at the Tustin Library (10:30 AM)
• There’s a Family Craft Night at the Fountain Valley Library (4 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• “Congratulations to our 22 newest Fire Apparatus Engineers who completed the training academy and promoted on Friday. We are proud of their hard work and success, and we thank their training cadre for their dedication and mentorship.” (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• “It’s a wrap! Our wine tasting fundraiser was so much fun. We missed seeing all of you when Covid forced us to forego this event. What a pleasure to be able to host it again and share updates with all of our wonderful supporters.” (German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County via Facebook)
• “🌾 Wildflowers are not the only new life emerging after the recent rainfall! Though dry for much of the year, our creeks teem with organisms waiting for water to arrive. 🏞 California tree frog tadpoles recently hatched in Trabuco Creek at O’Neill Regional Park after winter storms refilled the creek.” (Orange County Parks via Facebook)
• “Last November, voters passed the Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, or Measure 28, which will distribute 1 percent — or roughly $941 million — of the general fund yearly to K-12 arts programs throughout CA.” (Orange County Department of Ed via Instagram)
• “Thank you to the Employees Community Fund of Boeing for their generosity in awarding one of the Crystal Vision Grants to CASA OC! Because of partners like The Boeing Company, we can provide a powerful voice and a meaningful connection for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and abandonment.” (CASA of Orange County – Court Appointed Special Advocates 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:

• The 3 Keys to Ignite Your Inner Artist (March 15)
• Social Security Seminar at Newport Beach Public Library (March 15)
• Project Access Pickleball Tournament, presented by Freespeed Aviation, LLC (March 23)
• The Wine Militia – Secret POP-UP Blind Wine Tasting featuring Pinot Noir (April 12)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you’re all good for today! I’ll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with another update.

— 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.