🌱 Bogus School Threat + Dueling Guards + Closed Backcountry Trails

Hello, neighbors! Today’s Free Comic Book Day; did you know that comic book retailer Joe Field founded it in 2001, and now there’s a ZIP code lookup to find participating stores near you? I'm back to walk you through what's happening in the county. In today's issue, you'll find these stories and more...

• 🧹 Possible $25 an hour for Anaheim maids.
• 🤔 Alleged anti-Israel component in Santa Ana curriculum.
• 🚧 Closed Crystal Cove State Park backcountry trails.

🌤️ But first, today's weather: Partly sunny and cool. High: 68 Low: 55.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• ARCO at 17502 Goldenwest St. in Huntington Beach, $4.25
• E-Z Gas at 6000 Orangethorpe Ave. in Buena Park, $4.29
• Excalibur Fuels at 8482 Westminster Blvd. in Westminster, $4.39

🍷 Hobby Poll!
Everybody has hobbies. If time and money were no object this summer, which new hobby would you like to learn or take up? So far, 16.7 percent pick traveling, and 5.5 percent each select horseback riding, flying, ballroom dancing, crocheting, Mahjong, basket making, dog training and showing, and fly-fishing, surfing, and watercolor. New write-ins – at 5.6 percent each – are pickleball, piloting a small aircraft, line dancing, pottery, and wine collecting.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. Did you notice that there was quite a police presence when you took the kids to school on Friday? It turns out that someone made a non-specific threat on Snapchat to “Orange County schools,” putting authorities on high alert. Moreover, because the threat, which was deemed not credible, didn’t mention which Orange County, it wasn’t just California that went on alert but also North Carolina and Florida. (Patch)
2. What do Hotel Laguna and 14 West Laguna Beach have in common? Landmark and boutique hotel, respectively, were ordered by authorities to close after becoming locations for a 20-person brawl on Tuesday. City Manager Shohreh Dupuis said this step was necessary on Wednesday to “protect the health and safety of the public, people inside the premises, and Laguna Beach Police officers.” What happened? Reportedly, people at both venues argued about who has “operating and management authority at the hotel properties.” Both sides had armed security teams. Three times, law enforcement responded on Tuesday. Police Chief Jeff Calvert said this step protects “the public from inadvertently being caught up in the middle of a civil issue that has the potential to become more violent.” (KTLA)
3. Will officials in Anaheim agree to a $25 minimum hourly pay for hotel maids? United Here Local 11 is working on it. If the City Council goes along with the idea, it would affect the Disneyland resort, among other properties, and also include a provision for installing panic buttons for the housekeeping staff. However, you may remember that City Hall is currently dealing with a corruption probe prompted by the FBI’s assertion that “Anaheim is controlled by Disneyland area resort interests through the local chamber of commerce.” If politicians don’t want to touch the issue, it’ll likely go to voters. (Voice of OC, Patch)
4. Did the Santa Ana school board pass ethnic studies courses with anti-Israel components? Reportedly, a bias comes from linking a unit titled “Colonialism’s Impact on Migration” to supplemental material that includes a Middle East Monitor op-ed discussing the West Bank’s occupation by Israeli forces from a Palestinian point of view. A later question in the text then encourages students to consider Israeli-caused changes to “the socio-economic status and sovereignty of Palestinians over time.” Another unit discusses the consequences of “European imperial nation-making,” with a look at the planned division of Palestine by the United Nations. Critics of the curriculum say that the courses approved “falsely portray Jews as colonizers in Israel.” (Jewish Journal)
5. All Crystal Cove State Park backcountry trails are closed until further notice. Recent storms have caused serious trail damage, including sinkholes and deep grooves on trails. A case in point is a reported “massive 8-foot-deep sinkhole that is 50 feet long and 12 feet wide” on Moro Canyon Trail. Officials plan on bringing in heavy equipment next week to do repairs. In the meantime, hikers have been tossing signs that the trails are closed into the bushes. Remember that the wild mustard plants currently cover up several dangerous spots on the trails, making for treacherous terrain. (Orange County Register/paywall)

📆 Today in Orange County:

• Support Kids Run The OC in Costa Mesa (7 AM)
• Join the City of Orange May Parade (10 AM)
• Visit the Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill Historical Park in Lake Forest (11 AM)
• Listen to the music of Redneck Rodeo at Hangar 24 Brewing in Irvine (2 PM)
• Experience colors, sounds, and energy at THE SOXIETY Rabbit Hole in Garden Grove (11 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "On Thursday, May 4, 37 of our personnel, who showed an exceptional commitment to public safety, received medals during the Orange County Sheriff's Advisory Council's Medal of Valor Ceremony 🎖️. " (Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA, via Facebook)
• "THANK YOU to our Nutrition Services staff for their hard work and commitment to preparing and providing meals for our students. Today, we celebrate our appreciation for all that they do to support the nutritional needs of our students with love and care! 🧡" (Orange Unified School District via Instagram)
• "This adorable little fluffernutter is Tessa! She would love to make your acquaintance at our Adoption Event and Bake Sale! She will be there, along with many other beautiful dogs, for adoption. Please come by Centinela Feed in Huntington Beach between 11:30 and 2 on Saturday to say hello and possibly find a new best friend!" (German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County via Facebook)
• "Intrepid Escape Room hosted their Mobile Escape room for our students to team up and experience together. Everyone had a great time!" (Orange County Rescue Mission via Facebook)
• "The Silent Auction for Indigo Ball 2023 is now LIVE! If you cannot make it to Saturday's festivities, you can still support the Center by participating in the auction! Silent Auction Link: https://one.bidpal.net/indigoball2023/browse/all." (LGBTQ Center, Orange County, via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• Farmers Market at The District in Tustin on May 7th! (May 7)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar on May 8th and 11th at The Center at Founders Village (May 8)
• 2nd Thursday - Art After Hours (May 11)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right. I'll see you next time!

— 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 Bee Swarm Simulator (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 orangecounty@patch.com