🌱$50M Wildlife Corridor + Tsunami + A New Outlook

Good morning, Orange County! It's me again, Paula Constance, your host of the Orange County Daily. Here's everything you need to know to start your day. Thank you for your feedback, your suggestions, and your likes. Please share with friends and neighbors if you see something in the Orange County Daily they may like to know. Here's everything you need to know to start your day.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 77. Low: 51.

Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. A Tsunami advisory was issued Saturday for Orange County beaches after a powerful undersea volcano erupted in South Pacific, causing tsunamis to hit Hawaii, Japan, and Tonga's largest island. All Orange County beaches were ordered closed Saturday morning. The National Weather Service reported that the tsunami surge came in a one-foot swell between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and caused strong currents. Those at risk for a Tsunami surge are seacoast communities, harbors, and ports. Experts say the location of Orange County is "one of the biggest protections." On Saturday the Orange County Sheriff's Department asked people to stay out of the water. You can read more here: (ABC7 News)
2. A shout out to Newport Beach philanthropists Frank and Joan Randall, who donated $50 million for a wildlife corridor in the Tehachapi Mountains. The Preserve, named after the donors, will protect a critical wildlife corridor between Northern and Southern California for rare and endangered species. It's the largest nature preserve in California. According to The Nature Conservancy, the preserve is just over 100 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and will protect wildlife and biodiversity at a time when climate change continues to create challenges for wildlife. The Frank and Joan Randall Preserve corridor will enable rare, threatened, and endangered species facing the loss of habitat and fragmentation to adapt and survive. You can read more here: (Newport Beach Independent)
3. A 26-year-old O.C. woman who wasn't vaccinated against COVID-19 because of online misinformation changed her outlook after spending six months in the hospital fighting for her life. Wynter Ho thought she had the flu, but after learning that a family friend she visited tested positive, she went for a test and found out she had COVID-19. She was always very careful around clients in her Huntington Beach beauty salon and remembers feeling "really disappointed" to message everybody to let them know she tested positive. She was admitted to Fountain Valley Hospital in July with "significant pneumonia" in both lungs and was placed on a ventilator, or "she wouldn’t have made it at all,” said Dr. Hoang Le. When she regained consciousness in October, she slowly relearned how to speak and move her body. She credits the care of her medical team for her recovery. The first thing she did after she recovered was to get vaccinated, and she is urging everyone, especially young adults, to do the same. Ho said, "Better to be safe than sorry.” Read the full article here: (Los Angeles Times)

Today in Orange County:

• National Junior Basketball - Los Alamitos High School. (7:30 a.m.)
• FREE: Music on The Porch at The Ranch. (11 a.m.)
• Jazz Sunday Brunch at Mozambique - Arts and Culture Events in Orange County. (12 p.m.)
• Beginning Argentine Tango Bootcamp at Atomic Ballroom! (12 p.m.)
• Book Carnival presents T. JEFFERSON PARKER with A THOUSAND STEPS. (2 p.m.)
• Can you Stand Still for 90-Seconds? Pageant of the Masters Casting Call Jan. 14-16, 2022 (2 p.m.)
• HB APA's "Cabaret" (2 p.m.)
• Almost Full Moon Hike - Crystal Cove Conservancy. (4:30 p.m.)
• Tu BiShvat Program - Temple Beth Sholom. (6:00 p.m.)
• In Defense of Ska Tour w/ Buck-O-Nine, Mustard Plug. (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Orange County Register: "Orange County is 69% fully vaccinated, according to state records released this week." (Facebook)
• Orange County Register: "Christmas is not over — at least not for 88-year-old Jack Carey. Year round, the entire downstairs of Carey’s two-story Huntington Beach home abounds with holiday cheer." (Facebook)
• Orange County Register: "Here are 22 of the biggest movies expected to hit theaters in '22, from fantastic beasts to the fabulous folks of Downton Abbey." (Facebook)
• Los Alamitos Chamber Awards and Inaugural Luncheon: Is postponed. (Orange County Breeze)

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That's everything for today. I'll see you again soon!

— Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.